Beyond Dreams
by RE4P3R
Summary: Sequel to Cheapest Vacation. Six years later, Calvin visits Sasami, and all is well, that is, until she is "kidnapped". Now Calvin has to rescue her. Xover with Tenchi, Calvin & Hobbes, AMG/OMG, DS, and Squee. Some fusions, RE4 currently. M for violence.
1. Departure, Behind the Wall, New Friends

_**Ch.1 Departure, Behind the Wall, and New Friends**_

A soldier in white armor with blue highlights dove behind a large boulder, bullets whizzing past his head. He gripped his rifle tightly, and checked his ammunition. He only had fifteen bullets left in the clip, and it was his last one. He looked down and saw a combat shotgun on the ground, and exchanged it for his rifle.

'Twelve shots, just enough...' he thought. He heard them, two enemy soldiers, coming closer. Apparently, they had teamed up to take him out. He waited until they were only a few feet away, and jumped out, shotgun aimed at head level. Suddenly, two shots rang through the air, and both enemy soldiers dropped, dead. He looked up, just in time to see the sun shine off of a visor, and one more shot rang out. He watched his own body fall, and saw his killer. A soldier in light blue armor, with magenta highlights, crouching on a ridge, and reloading a sniper rifle, but it didn't matter now...

--

"GAME OVER!" Calvin's TV blared, and showed the final results of his online Halo 2 match:  
1: SassySammy - 50  
2: WhiteMage16 - 42  
3: SiLeNtNiNjA - 26  
4: N00Bpwner - 21  
5: DevilSPAWN - 17  
6: DarthSoldier - 14  
7: LegolasToad - 10  
8: JesusChrist999 - -2  
Calvin smiled. He knew he wouldn't win, not with Sasami online, but was happy he got second. He looked over the medals he got.

"Assassination, Beat down, Stick, Killtac, Snipe, eh, good haul." Calvin said to himself. Then he looked at Sasami's medals. "Jeez Sasami, Berserker AND Killamanjaro AGAIN?!" he spoke through the headset.

"What can I say, I'm a natural." he heard Sasami say through the speakers, he could almost hear her grin.

"Eh, whatever, I got to get off, school starts in a half hour, and if I stay around I might be late again."

"Ha ha, my school day was over six hours ago."

"Don't rub it in. Will you be on here, or FF eleven later?"

"Probably FF, if I wake up early enough. Still leaving this weekend?"

"Yeah, my school didn't change the exchange date like they wanted, so I'll be seeing you Sunday."  
"Good, well, have a good morning, Calvin."

"Yeah, you have a good night, Sasami." Calvin clicked his headset off, and powered down his Xbox 360. He got up and grabbed his backpack off the kitchen table, and grabbed his car keys off the counter top. "I'll see you later Mom!"

"Come home early, you still need to pack for the flight." he heard his Mom yell from the computer room. Calvin smiled as he walked out of the house. At the start of the school year, he signed up for the Student Exchange Program, and told Sasami about it. Thanks to Washu's computer skills, he was headed to Sasami's school in Okayama for a few months, and then she would fly back with him to his school for the same amount of time. He was thinking about the upcoming trip as he started his '93 black Saturn and drove to another house a few minutes away. He stopped in front of a small house and waited. When no one came out of the door, he backed up to the darker looking house next door, just as a short boy with dark brown hair walked out of the door, waving into the house. He wore dark blue jeans, and a t-shirt with a yellow frowny face on it.  
"Staying at Johnny's again, Todd?" Calvin asked as the boy opened the passenger side door.  
"Yeah, my parents were fighting again. No worries though, they should be ok by now." the boy, now known as Todd, said. A few minutes later Calvin stopped his car in front of another house, blue with bright colored flowers under the windows. Out walked a tall, thin boy with black hair, who wore goth style clothing. He opened the back passenger door and got in.  
"How's it going Calvin?" the dark boy said in a bright, chipper voice that did not match his appearance.  
"Pretty good, Pepito. I can't wait for my trip to Japan." Calvin responded.  
"So how long have you know this girl?" Todd asked.  
"Sasami? Oh I've known her for awhile, I met her during a camp trip about six years ago." Calvin answered. The rest of the car ride was filled with idle conversations about news, media, etc.

--

A few days later...

--

Calvin zipped his last duffel bag shut. He put off his packing until the last minute, and was finished with the last of his clothes. He looked around his room. It was your ordinary teenager room, posters of bands, a computer, shelf full of music, movies, and games, save for one thing. A lone, stuffed tiger, a sign of his youth, was resting on a chair in the corner of his room.

"I'll see you in a few months, Hobbes." Calvin said to the stuffed animal, who only to him, appeared to be a living, breathing tiger, though slightly more humanoid.

"Bring back some of that famous Sushi, I've been dieing to try it." Hobbes responded. Calvin smiled and started to walk out of the door, when he stopped. He walked over to his computer desk, and grabbed an mp3 player (with a VERY large music library), put the headphones on, and brought his last duffel bag to his father's car, quietly singing to himself.

"He's only a lad, we really can't blame him. He's only a lad, society made him. He's only a lad, he's our responsibility, oh, oh oh oh."

--

A few hours (and one nap) later...

--

Calvin awoke in the airplane as it landed in Okayama, got some of his luggage from the overhead compartment, and went to baggage claim to get the rest, and also to wait for his ride. He wasn't sure who would be picking him up, until...

"HEY CALVIN!" he heard a familiar voice yell. He looked over his shoulder and saw a girl in a green blouse and dark blue skirt, with pink colored eyes and straight blue hair, reaching down to the middle of her back.

"Sasami, how are you?" Calvin asked as she ran up to him, and promptly hugged him.

"Great, it's good to see you." she said, and let go of him.

"It's good to see you too. So did you drive here, or get a ride?"

"I drove, got my license about two months ago. Got your stuff?"

"Yeah, let's head out."

--

Later that night...

--

Calvin had arrived at the Masaki household, and had reacquainted himself with everyone. Ryoko had even said "If I wasn't already attached to Tenchi, I'd be after you" and "Sasami is a VERY lucky girl". Calvin and Sasami laughed at this, but he could almost swear he saw Sasami blush slightly. He had helped out Sasami in the kitchen, as she explained his temporarily new school, and daily life around the house. When it was time for Calvin to go to sleep, he had one unanswered question.

"So, where am I supposed to sleep?" he asked.

"Well, Washu thought about creating a room out of subspace for you, but after Mihoshi volunteered to help, she thought my room was large enough, and I agreed." Sasami answered.

"Wait, what?"

"If you're worried about privacy, I will be changing in the bathroom, unless you want to, it doesn't matter to me."

"Uh, sure, I can change in the bathroom."

"Ok, well, I have my old futon that you can sleep on, and you can set it up where ever in my room."

"Uh, ok, that sounds fine to me. Um, you aren't worried about a guy sleeping in your room?" Sasami gave Calvin a serious look.

"Calvin, after living with Tenchi's father for so many years, I can almost literally spot a pervert from a mile away." She then smiled and laughed.

--

Later, around 2 in the morning...

--

Sasami was wandering around in a field, without a care in the world. She liked these kind of dreams, they always had a way of deeply relaxing her. She walked up and smelled a large sunflower, when a shadow past over her. She wasn't sure what happened next, only that her head hurt, she couldn't move her arms or legs, and she had the feeling she was being carried, as her captor approached a large, gray brick wall...

--

A few hours later...

--

Calvin slowly woke up, yawned, and stretched. He looked over to Sasami's bed, and found her still sleeping. There was an odd buzzing sound coming from her nightstand, and he went over to investigate. The source of the sound was a small, red crab, which displayed the time (6:23). Calvin examined it further, looking for the snooze button. He found a large bar on the back of the model crab, with a few Japanese characters. He pressed it, and the buzzing quit. He looked over at Sasami, and decided not to wake her.  
He looked back at the nightstand, and looked over some of the photo's she had displayed there. A photo of everyone at the house, a photo of Sasami, Aeka, a large man with dark purple hair, a woman with blue hair (the same shade as Sasami's), and another woman with black hair. Calvin assumed the man and the woman with blue hair was Sasami's mother and father, but didn't know who the other woman was, probably her cousin or aunt. The next photo Calvin saw showed a young Sasami and Calvin, holding each other's shoulders, with Sasami giving the "V for Victory" sign. Calvin smiled, and decided to head downstairs.

"Five six nine makes the contact and lead them, U-94 scores a kill in the dark, one two four sinking four and two approaches, four oh six suffers failure on launch..." Calvin silently sang to himself as he was confronted with his first problem of the day, turning on the television. He had barely any knowledge of Japanese, so he had no idea what button was power on the gray remote. Actually, gray was the ONLY color scheme of the remote, from the dark gray buttons to the light gray, almost white text. He decided it was best to just press random buttons on the television itself. On his third try he hit the power button (he hit the far right, far left, then the middle). Only this provided his second problem of the day, he couldn't watch anything. Well, that's almost true. He COULD watch something, but he had no idea what they were saying, as it was (of course) all Japanese. Starting to get a little frustrated, he decided to tread on something he knew, he turned on the Xbox 360 resting below the television.

"Might as well add my account on here." he said quietly. The familiar loading screen and tone greeted him as he sat on the couch, only to face his third problem, most of the menu was in Japanese, and set up differently then his 360 at home. He stifled a yell, and it came out as a low growl. Calvin then heard an amused chuckle at his left. He looked over and saw Washu leaning on the arm of the couch, with a smirk on her face.

"Having trouble?" she asked, still smirking.

"To put it lightly, yes, yes I am. Can you help me out here?" Calvin responded.

"Here, catch." Washu said, as she threw a small silver object in the air. Calvin caught it, and took a closer look. It appeared to be a Hershey Kiss, he unwrapped the silver foil, and frowned when he saw chocolate.

"How the hell is this supposed to help me?!" he growled loudly.

"It contains an updated language serum, so you'll be able to speak, read, and write both Japanese and English at will, unlike my prototype serum, where you could only speak English when you were in proximity of another English speaker." she explained calmly.

"Yeah, but you put in a chocolate kiss?" he asked.

"Well, you could always take the serum in a more interesting way..." she responded, staring at syringe she pulled out of subspace, flicking the needle. Calvin's eyes went wide, and he swallowed the chocolate whole. He had a fear of needles all his life. Moments later, he felt dizzy, and his vision was cloudy. He rubbed his eyes and and looked over at Washu as his vision cleared.

"So how will I know if it worked?" Calvin inquired. Washu smiled.

"Well, I can tell you right now it did." she replied.

"How do you know?"

"You're speaking to me in Japanese. If you wait a few more moments, you'll be able to tell the difference." And sure enough, after a few more seconds, he was thinking back and forth between English and Japanese.

"Thanks Washu." Calvin said in Japanese.

"No problem." Washu replied in English. Calvin looked back at the television, and set to work adding his account to the 360. "Say, where's Sasami? She should be up by now." Washu asked.

"Oh, she was still sleeping, and I didn't want to bother her."

"Hm, that's not like her. Did her alarm go off?"

"Yeah, it was buzzing when I woke up, I hit the snooze button, it took me a while to find it."

"Huh, that's odd. I'm going to go check on her, if you want to come with."

--

A few hours later...

--

Washu tried in vain to wake Sasami, but she was out cold. She informed the rest of the household while she moved Sasami to her lab. Aeka, enraged, tried to attack Calvin, but was held back by Tenchi and Ryoko. She later apologized to Calvin. Washu studied Sasami's condition, and informed the group of her findings, where they congregated in the living room.

"Well, there's good and bad news. The good news is that she's perfectly healthy, she isn't physically harmed. The bad news is that consciously, she isn't there. Her memory is still intact, but there is no self conscious." Washu said in a serious tone.

"Oh my lord, Washu, what happened to her?" Aeka asked, on the verge of tears.

"Well, I looked over her memories. More precisely, her last dream, and I've found something interesting." Washu answered, and brought up a view screen. It showed a green field, with some sunflowers. Sasami went close to one flower, as a large shadow appeared behind her. There was a blur of colors, then a gray brick wall. The recording ended there. "This intrigued me, and I investigated further. What I found was shocking. Apparently, whatever kidnapped her in her dream, took her to another dimension. It seems that anyone can access this dimension when they are in the latter stages of REM sleep, so for the moment, I have dubbed this new dimension the 'Dream World'. Another interesting factor I've discovered is that the older the individual is, the harder it is to enter the 'Dream World'."

"So what's the plan, Washu?" asked Tenchi.

"The plan is to send the youngest person in this room to this 'Dream World'." Washu replied, staring at Calvin.

"What, me?" Calvin asked, pointing to his chest.

"Yes, you. You are the youngest person here, so it would be easy to send you over. So, will you help us find Sasami?" Washu replied, the asked. Everyone in the room looked at Calvin. He stood there for a moment, then smiled.

"Of COURSE I'll do it! Send me out now!" Calvin yelled. Washu smiled.

"Glad to see your so enthusiastic. All right, follow me to my lab." Washu said, and headed to the broom closest door, Calvin right on her heels. The door opened to a hospital like setting, with Sasami laying in a bed, various machines monitoring her status. A few feet away was a similar bed, with similar machinery around it. Washu directed Calvin to the bed, and he laid down. She started attaching various electrodes to his forehead, followed by a metallic head band with lights placed around it.

"So how are you going to do this?" Calvin asked, as Washu went back and forth from adjusting some of the machinery to typing on her holo-top.

"Well, I'm going to send you into a lucid dream state, so you're in more control. I'll alter the area around you, so you will be in the last place Sasami dreamed about. Try to find the gray wall she saw, Calvin. That is the barrier between this dimension and the 'Dream World'." Washu explained.

"Got it, anything else?"

"I'm going to have a trace on you, so when you do cross, I can lock on to your position and send you supplies. Which reminds me." Washu pulled a small device out of her subspace storage. "This is a small radio transmitter, when I send this to you, place it in your right ear. I have it pre-set to my frequency, but if the situation calls for it, you can have other frequencies saved in the memory bank. To call me, press the small button on the side, and you'll be able to mentally select the frequency and call. You won't need to worry about a microphone, it'll be able to pick up sounds in a three meter radius. I'll be sending another one of these transmitters, for Sasami, when you do find her. I'll also be sending you your own subspace storage system, it will look like a silver ring. So, you all set Calvin?"

"Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Good, I'll be speaking to you as soon as you cross," Washu smirked "Sweet dreams!" She typed a few keys on her holo-top, and Calvin was sent into REM sleep.  
Calvin looked around, he was in the same field that he saw Sasami in on the recording. He walked around until he found the sunflowers, and kept going. After what felt like a half hour, he found a massive gray brick wall, at least thirty feet high.

"Great, how the hell am I supposed to climb this?" he said out loud. He looked to his right, then his left, and found part of the wall crumbling, some of the bricks were broken or missing. He ran over to the crumbling section, and looked up. Luckily, the damage went straight to the top. "Well, right now, this is a dream, so I can't get hurt, right? Might as well climb." And with that, Calvin started to climb. After a few minutes, he reached the top, and felt dizzy. He looked back to the field, only to find swirling colors. He looked up, on the other side of the wall, and saw a city, but what magnificence it once had was lost, as it was rather decrepit. Calvin looked down, and saw foliage. Without thinking, he jumped. He landed on his left arm hard, but the pain quickly left him. "Well, I guess I better be more careful in this dimension, otherwise I might not get back." He slowly got up, and saw a crackling ball of energy in front of him. It slowly floated to the ground, and faded. In it's place was a small metal box. Calvin bent down and picked up the box, it was relatively light. He opened it, and found the two transmitters, and the subspace storage ring. He examined the two transmitters, one had a C engraved on the side, the other had an S engraved on it. Calvin took the 'C' transmitter and placed it in his right ear. Immediately, he heard two sets of three beeps in quick succession. He found the small button on the side an activated the transmitter. To his surprise, a green translucent image appeared over his right eye. There were four boxes in this image, one contained a live video feed, and showed Washu's face. To the right of that was a larger box, which showed his reception and the frequency he was tuned to. To the right of that was another video box, only it showed his face. Below these three boxes was a very large box, but that was currently empty.

"This is quite an interesting piece of technology you have here W..." Calvin started to say.

"Don't say my name, I have no idea if we are being monitored, so anonymity is important. For now, call me Sekishoku. What do you want me to call you?" Washu interrupted, explained, and asked. Calvin thought for a second.

"Dokuja, call me Dokuja." Calvin replied. "I don't understand why you don't want anyone to know who you are when I can see your face perfectly."

"It's only through these devices that you can see the video. Now, have you put on the subspace storage ring yet?"

"No, but I'll do that right now."

"Good. To activate it, twist the ring to the right. To close the storage, twist left."

"Got it." Calvin put the ring on, and twisted it right. A round, black hole appeared in front of him. He looked inside it, and to him, it looked like a chest, or dresser drawer. He placed the metal box, along with the other transmitter, and closed the storage.

"Now, from what I've gathered recently, this dimension should function like ours, you'll experience the same gravity, you can get hurt, you may need to eat food, and you might have to sleep, but I can guarantee it will be dreamless."

"Yeah, I figured that when I jumped off the wall and landed on my arm. So what about other equipment, like weapons, body armor, or something to make me invisible?"

"I can only send a small number of things at a time, but I'll work on it. What do you want sent first?"

"Whatever you got to make me invisible, the less I'm seen the better."

"Alright, I'll start development on a small camo device. After I send that, tell me what you need next. If you need to contact me for anything, my frequency is 140.85 . Good luck, Dokuja." With that, the transmission was cut. Calvin looked around, and headed for the city.

--

About a half hour later...

--

Calvin had been walking through the city, walking the streets, alleyways, and small paths. So far, he had only seen a few people, in grubby clothing, ducking away in buildings. He turned to go down another ally when he spotted two armored men, in what appeared to be gas masks, beating a man with metal rods. The man was laying on the ground, screaming. Calvin stood there, shocked, when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and was pulled into a building. He was pushed back aways, and heard a clatter. There was man in front of him, placing tables, chairs, and other things in front of the door. He also wore grubby clothing, but had an odd, red hat with spots, almost like mushroom. He placed another chair in front of the door, and looked back at Calvin.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, standing in front of the Lunarium? Do you want to get killed or something?" He yelled at Calvin.

"What the hell are you talking about? And who are you?" Calvin yelled back.

"I'm Kombucha, but most people call me Combo. You must be from one of the islands the Lunarium didn't get to yet." he, now known as Combo, informed Calvin. "And who might you be?"

"Ca...Dokuja, now who are the Lunarium?"

"The Lunarium are part of the private army of Balthazar, that demon that's trying to take over Yume. They are brutal, and efficient." Combo flashed a pin on his sleeve, it looked like a small black spider. "But I'm part of the resistance, The Black Widows, we stick to the shadows, and take out key pieces of the Lunarium's current hold on Soad, the peninsula we are on. We have affiliates on most of the islands, free and controlled, ready to strike. Did you come from Emerald Light or Lycan Mater?"

"Emerald Light and Lycan what? I'm not from there, I can tell you that."

"Then where are you from?"

"Well, it's hard to explain, but right now that doesn't matter. I'm looking for a girl."

"Heh, aren't we all?"

"No, I mean I'm looking for a girl who's been kidnapped. Her name is Sasami, she has pink colored eyes and blue hair down to the middle of her back."

"Well, I haven't seen a girl like that, but I can ask my contacts. Say, what are you packing?"

"Packing what?"

"Protection, like a socom, five-seven, USP, Colt 1911, your usual."

"Got nothing on me."

"You are one crazy bastard, strolling around here without a gun. Come on, I'll take you to Sako's, and get you a piece."

"Wait a second, how do you know you can trust me?"

"Well, you haven't tried to kill me yet, and you paused when you saw that beating. How do you know you know you can't trust me?"

"Hm, you got a point."

"Come on, lets stop wasting time and get you a firearm, can't get far here without one."  
After this fast paced exchange, Calvin followed Combo through the building, down a flight of stairs, and through a series of hidden passages.

--

A few minutes later...

--

They arrived at another building, and stood in front of a door. Combo did a series of knocks on the door, most likely a code, before large, burly man opened the door. Combo walked in, but the man stopped Calvin.

"Hold on, all new arrivals must be scanned." the man said, and pulled out what Calvin could only describe as a metal stick. The man pressed a button on it, and waved it in front of Calvin, then behind him. "You're clean, go on ahead." the man said.

"What was all that for?" Calvin asked.

"They had to make sure you weren't bugged with Lunarium tech." Combo answered.

"What if I was?"

"It would have been removed, you would be questioned, and depending on the outcome, either set free, or killed."  
After a bit more walking, they were in front of another door, which read 'Sako's fine armory'.

"Hey Sako, I got a guy here who needs a sidearm." Combo said as he opened the door. A small man, with numerous scars on his face, greeted them. Calvin was awestruck at the amount of weaponry that was before him, for it could (and probably was) supply for a small army. As Combo talked with Sako, Calvin looked over a section of weapons marked 'efficient, deadly, and the current fad'. Calvin had seen guns before, and had taken gun safety classes, but had never shot a firearm outside of a shooting range. He picked up one large sidearm, it was somewhat heavy, but it felt right for him.

"That's a Desert Eagle, kid. Packs one hell of a punch, and is accurate at a decent range, provided you take the time to aim." Sako said, walking next to him.

"Can I try it out?" Calvin asked.

"Sure, I got some targets at the other room." Sako replied. He directed Calvin to an opening next the large rifle section, labeled 'Distance melon busters'. Calvin stood in front of a table, and there were three human shaped targets, one a few feet away, one ten feet away, and one twenty feet away (on the back wall). He looked to his left and saw Sako rummaging through a chest, and pulled out two clips. He walked up and set them on the table.

"You know how to load a gun, kid?" Sako asked. Calvin grabbed one of the clips off the table, and slid it with ease into the handle. He pulled back the slide and cocked the Desert Eagle, loading a bullet in the chamber.

"I've had some lessons." Calvin replies. "How many bullets per clip?"

"Well, you can fit ten in the ones I supply."  
Calvin nodded, unlocked the safety on the sidearm, and took aim at the close target. He easily got a critical head and chest shot, and moved on to the next target. The gun had strong kickback, but it wasn't something Calvin couldn't handle. His attempt at the medium range target was decent, he got good shots on the chest, but only managed to shoot the ear off the target. At the long range target, he got some chest shots, but missed the head.

"I'll take it."

--

A few minutes later...

--

Calvin had left Sako's with Combo, one Desert Eagle, tactical vest, brown leather jacket, combat knife, four clips, and four boxes of bullets richer. He decided that it was a good idea to have a combat knife for if an attacker got too close, and the tactical vest had holsters for his gun, knife, and three clips. The brown leather jacket was necessary, because he couldn't walk around with his weapon exposed to the public, and he found it rather comfy. As for money, Sako said it was on the house, because he was a new customer, and he walked in with Combo. Calvin took a deep breath of the city air. They were heading to a contact of Combo's, who lived on the other side of the city, for any info on Sasami. Unfortunately, none of the hidden passages were near him, so they had to traverse by alleyway. They went silently, uninterrupted, until they heard a scuffle. Combo took cover behind a dumpster, and motioned Calvin over. Calvin looked over the dumpster and saw two women, fighting off at least six of the Lunarium. One of them wore red and black robes, and had waist length black hair. She was swinging around what appeared to be a large, red croquet mallet. The other girl was dressed in a black leather jacket and skirt, with red highlights. She had a white and black stripped undershirt, with matching stalkings. Her hair was a light purple, shoulder length, and she had (Calvin rubbed his eyes a few times) _wings_, red and black bat wings to be exact, a pair on her back, and a small pair on her head. Both of them were fast, and the Lunarium soldiers dropped quickly.

"I told you we shouldn't have taken that shortcut!" the black haired girl yelled.

"I didn't know it would be crawling with these guys!" the purple haired, black winged girl yelled. As they were arguing, one of the Lunarium soldiers as rising, metal rod in hand.

"HEY, BEHIND YOU!" Calvin yelled. The black haired girl turned around, and swung the mallet at the soldier's head. A loud, sickening crunch was heard, as he crumpled to the ground. Calvin ran out from behind the dumpster, and Combo slowly followed. He could see now the black haired girl had blue markings on her face.

"Thanks for the heads up, who are you?" the black haired girl said.

"Call me Dokuja." Calvin replied.

"That name doesn't fit you, you know." the purple haired, bat winged girl said.

"I suppose it wouldn't it's a code name." Calvin answered. Combo walked up next to him.

"Hi, name's Kombucha, but you can call me Combo." he said, then looked at Calvin. "Code name? Are you going to tell us your real name?"

"Maybe, once I trust you more." Calvin remarked. He then looked back at the two women. "And what are your names?"

"I am Lilith, demon first class, limited." she, now known as Lilith, said, the small bat wings on her head flapping slowly.

"And I am Skuld, Goddess first class, limited." the black haired girl, now known as Skuld, said, twirling the red mallet and placing it on her back.

"Oh...kay..." a confused Calvin said.


	2. A Cruise in Style, Naratoma

_**Ch. 2 A cruise in style to Naratoma**_

--

"Listen, right now, we need to get off the streets. A Lunarium soldier could show up at any moment." Combo informed the group. "I suggest we head to that alleyway, we have a small safe house set up there." Combo pointed to a small ally on the other side of the street. The group quickly headed, but before they entered the safe house, Calvin heard two sets of three consecutive beeps, then another two sets.

"Hold on one second." Calvin said. He crouched and activated the transmitter. "Any new information?"

"No, but I am interested in the three people that you have with you." Washu said on the other end.

"How do you know there's anyone near me?"

"I have a radar device that shows your location, and the location of any other individuals nearby. I am currently trying to minimize it, so you'll be able use it."

"Great, how's the development on the camo?"

"About twenty-five to thirty percent complete."

"Hm. Think you could send out a few more transmitters?"

"I'm assuming they are for your new allies..."

"Yeah, it would be good idea to stay in contact with them if we get separated."

"Very well, I'm sending three more to you."

"All right, I'll contact you if I need anymore help." With that, Calvin ended the transmission and stood up. Combo stared at him like he was crazy, Lilith in mild surprise, and Skuld with an amused smirk.

"I'm guessing that was your outside help, right?" Skuld asked.

"Yeah, she'll be sending some transmitters for all of you." Calvin replied.

"You are just getting more and more mysterious." Combo said quietly. Lilith chuckled, then smiled.

"I thought I recognized your aura. You're from Earth, aren't you?" she asked Calvin.

"Yeah, but how do you know about Earth?" Calvin inquired.

"Lilith and I both have homes on Earth." Skuld answered.

"Then, why are you here?" Calvin asked.

"We used to come here all the time, it's pretty easy for us. Though it was never like this, it used to be peaceful." Lilith answered. "We tried to leave, but the exit has been blocked. I'm surprised you were able to get in."

"Hmm, it might have something to do with Sasami..." Calvin said quietly. "That reminds me, why are you two friends? Wouldn't a Goddess and a Demon try to kill each other?" Skuld smirked at this, and Lilith started to chuckle again.

"Well, Goddess Demon relations have changed since the middle ages, Dokuja. I believe it's around that time that Lucifer gave up trying to conquer Heaven, stepped down as ruler, and left his sister in control." Skuld answered.

"Rumor has it he's living like a mortal, raising a family somewhere on Earth." Lilith added.

"Anyway, to get to your question, we've known each other for a few years, my older sisters are friends with her older sister." Skuld continued. Calvin stood there silently for a moment, before Skuld spoke again. "You know, your taking this information on Goddesses and Demons rather well. That's not normal for a mortal."

"Let's just say I have some unordinary friends." Calvin replied. At that moment, a small ball of energy formed, and floated to the ground. It disappeared, and in its place was another small box. "Ah, the transmitters are here." Calvin picked the box up, opened it, and distributed the transmitters. "You place it in your right ear, and activate it by pressing a small button on the side. You'll be able to call someone using mental commands." Calvin got another call on his transmitter, and answered it.

"Did you explain how to use the transmitters?" Washu asked.

"Yeah, they have them in right now." Calvin answered.

"All right, I'll open this line up for them." Calvin looked over at the others, Skuld was the first to answer hers, followed by Lilith, and lastly Combo (he was having some trouble with it).

"Whoa, this is amazing!" Combo yelled out. His face replaced Washu's on Calvin's display.

"Yes, this is a pretty interesting piece of technology." Skuld added. Just like before, her face replaced Combo's.

"Think you could make something like this?" Lilith asked Skuld. Again, her face replaced Skuld's.

"Probably, but it would take me a while to replicate it." Skuld answered. Washu's image appeared, and she started laughing.

"A Goddess and a Succubus? My my, Dokuja, you have gotten yourself some interesting allies." Washu said, grinning.

"Succubus?" Calvin asked, and looked over at Lilith.

"I'll explain later. The more important question is, how does she who we are?" Lilith said, and then inquired.

"I know many things, child, and if you or your Goddess friend meets me face to face, I'll explain. But for now, we must focus on the matter at hand. I'm sure Dokuja has told you about the missing girl." Washu answered. The Goddess and the Demon shook their heads, but Combo nodded. "Well, Dokuja here is trying to rescue a girl, by the name of Sasami. She was kidnapped recently, and we tracked her captor entering this dimension. By the way, what do the natives call this place?"

"Yume, our world is called Yume." Combo answered. Washu smirked.

"I have a friend by that name. It oddly fits your world." she responded. "Back to the situation at hand, you'll need to know your frequency. Also, come up with a name to call yourself by, I don't know if this line can be monitored, so it's best to not to use our real names." Washu paused, and started typing. "Goddess, your frequency is 141.12. What are you going to call yourself?"

"I'll be going as Fremtid." Skuld answered, her code name spoken with an odd accent.

"Alright. Demon, your frequency is 141.52. What will you be?" Washu said, then asked.

"Anam will be my name." Lilith said, with another odd accent on the name.

"Ok. Mushroom head, your frequency is 141.80. Name?" Washu asked. Combo frowned slightly.

"Shiitake." he simply responded. Washu snickered.

"Okay then. If you didn't know yet, Dokuja, your frequency is 141.41 . Now, get going." Washu said. The transmission ended, and Calvin looked over at Lilith.

"Now what did she mean by succubus?" he asked. Lilith smirked.

"Well, that's what kind of demon I am." she responded frankly. Calvin's right eyebrow rose. "Succubae and Incubi are basically told to do what they feel like. We do not need to report to Nidheg, Hell's computer, so we do not get markings. Your average demon would have red slash marks on their face."

"Wait, Hell has a computer system?" Calvin asked, surprised.

"Of course Hell has a computer system. So does Heaven." Lilith answered.

"But we call it Yggdrasil, and as far as I know, all Gods and Goddesses require markings for it." Skuld added.

"Right, but we are getting off topic. A large number of Succubae and Incubi, myself and my sister included, consider ourselves vigilantes. We try to take out the truly evil people in the world, namely serial killers, rapists, etc. Though a lot of demons say we are 'going soft' for helping mortals." Lilith continued.

"They're just pissed cause they aren't being commended on both sides for their work." Skuld added. Lilith grinned at this.

"Yeah, there has been a rift between the new thinking demons and the old." Lilith inquired.

"Listen, we can chat all we want, but we need to get moving, as far as I know, the Lunarium could have taken out my contact already." Combo interrupted. They headed out, and fortunately, the contact was alive. He did point out that a strange hostage was taken to Emerald Light, and he gave them his yacht, to head out...

--

Hours later...

--

Calvin sat on the deck of the yacht, twirling his combat knife between his fingers. Combo was nearby, piloting, or driving (Calvin wasn't sure what the right term was), the boat. Lilith was on the rear part of the yacht.

"One...two...three...SOUL FIST!" Lilith yelled, thrusting her right hand out. A bright orb left her hand, but dissipated shortly after. "DAMN IT!" Lilith screamed. Skuld laughed softly.

"Keep trying." Skuld said.

"I know I can do it, I've done the easier 'Soul Flash' before." Lilith said.

"Just because you can perform something smaller and similar doesn't mean you can perform the spell. I can use electricity, but that I cannot summon lightning yet. It all takes practice."

"Says the girl who would rather use machines than magic."

"I rely on both, thank you. I modified Banpei to use simple spells."

"Please tell me it was something to mess with Urd."

"You know it. Simple fluid alteration spell. All of her potions are now just water."

"Hey you two, if you're interested _at all_, we're here." Combo said. Calvin looked ahead of the yacht. He could see multiple docks, and a large skyline. "Welcome to Emerald Light, one of the few remaining free islands. This is the port city of Kyuujitsu. We should find Sasami here." Combo added.

"So where are we going?" Skuld asked.

"The Naratoma building. Whoever has Sasami has something to do with that building." Combo answered. He docked the yacht, and after a half hour of walking, the group ended up in front of the Naratoma building.

"So what's the plan?" Lilith asked.

"I'm going in by myself to look for Sasami." Calvin answered.

"What, you don't want our help now?" Skuld asked sarcastically.

"No, it would be less suspicious if one person goes to ask about her, instead of four." Calvin responded.

"He does have a point. Skuld, Combo, and I are strange looking." Lilith added.

"Just how am I strange looking?" Combo asked.

"The mushroom hat has nothing to do with it." Skuld answered, smirking.

"It was a gift from my father, we grew mushrooms for a living." Combo answered, scowling.

"None of that matters right now, I'm going in and..." Calvin said, and then paused. He was looking at Lilith.

"Um... quick question here, where are your wings?"

"I have the power to hide them. We attract enough attention without them out." Lilith answered.

"Uh, ok then. Anyway, I'm heading in, _by myself_, to find out the situation. If I find anything, I'll either head out, or contact you by the transmitter." Calvin said. He then headed inside. The inside was furnished with marble and gold, obviously this building was of some importance.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"Uh, yeah. I'm looking for a person, and I heard they might be here." Calvin answered.

"The only people left on this building are on the 30th floor, there is an office party going on. You'll probably find them there."

"Thanks." Calvin found the elevator and headed up to the 30th floor. When the doors opened, he was greeted with garbled conversations and music. Calvin wormed his way through the crowd, looking for the recognizable head of blue hair. But Sasami was nowhere to be found. Calvin was able to leave the group of people and found some rooms, all empty. He headed in the last room, and sat down in an overstuffed couch. He turned his transmitter and contacted the rest of the group.

"Well, I don't know what your contact was talking about, but she's not here." Calvin said.

"No worries, I have another contact here, I'll talk to him and see if he has any info on her." Combo responded.

"Sounds good enough..." Calvin started to say, then paused. He though he heard something. He heard it again. Gunshots. Many gunshots in rapid succession. Someone out there had a machine gun. "Maybe your contact betrayed us, I just heard gunfire. I'm going to try and get out of here, now." Calvin shut off his transmitter and pulled out his desert eagle. He leaned next to the door, opened it a crack, and looked out. He saw about seven men, six with submachine guns, and a tall man in a black trench coat. He started to speak.

"Glad that I got your attention. Now, loyal employees of Naratoma shipping, we are part of the Lunarium. I am Francois, and this is a takeover. We have informed your government that if they do not relinquish power to the Lunarium in twenty-four hours, you're all dead." the man, known as Francois, said with a French accent. "Polo! Put the girl with the other hostages!" One of the six men walked out of Calvin's view, and came back with the hostage. She was tied up, gagged, blindfolded, and had blue hair.

"Sasami..." Calvin said quietly. He moved away from the door. "FUCK!" he yelled, and punched the wall. He then looked back out. The Lunarium were busy rounding up the hostages. Across the hall was the stairwell.  
Calvin snuck across and entered. He ran up to the next floor, and peeked in. He saw another Lunarium wandering about. He ran up another floor, and looked in. No Lunarium were up here, so he entered. There were construction tools all around, and floodlights. Calvin ran up to one of the windows and looked out. He couldn't see anyone in front of the building. He turned his transmitter and called the group.

"What the hell happened in there?" Skuld asked.

"Lunarium take over. They're trying to get control of Emerald Light. They took everyone hostage." Calvin answered.

"Shit, ok, we'll try and contact the authorities." Combo answered.

"Also..." Calvin said, and paused for a second. "...They got Sasami with them. I'm going to stay in here and try and get her out. Maybe I can take out the Lunarium while I'm at it." Calvin shut off his transmitter before anyone could protest. He looked around to find anything that could get emergency vehicles over, and found a fire alarm. Calvin smirked and pulled it. Ten seconds after it went off it stopped. Calvin reset and pulled the alarm a few more times, until he heard the elevator door open. 'Gotta hide.' he thought, as he looked around. He dove behind a pile of rebar.

"The alarm has been turned off, my friend. No one is coming to help you. Why don't you come with me and join the rest of your coworkers. I promise not to hurt you." a man said with a French accent.

'Fat chance.' Calvin thought. He heard the man come closer, and snuck around to the right of the rebar pile, and into another room. He heard a small burst of machine gun fire, followed by an angry yell. Calvin looked around and found a table saw, and turned it on. He then hid in the shadows nearby. The man walked into the room, and over to the table saw. He shut it off, and Calvin ran out, putting him in a headlock. The man struggled, and both of them moved about. Eventually, the fight ended up in the stairwell. The man kept struggling, and they both fell down one flight of stairs. Calvin heard a loud crack. He let go and turned the man over. His eyes were moving around, wide, but that was it. Eventually, they stopped moving, and glazed over.

"Guess I broke his neck." Calvin said out loud. He paused, and thought about the situation. 'I just took a life. I do fell a little bad about it, but not that much. I guess there is something to video games destroying your remorse. But I'll think about it later.' Calvin searched the man's backpack, and found some ammo for the machine gun, along with some C4 explosive, blast caps, a walkie-talkie, and a lighter. He took the submachine gun, flicked open the subspace storage ring, and put the ammo, along with the C4 and blast caps, inside, and closed the storage. He pocketed the lighter, and clipped the walkie-talkie to his belt. He then dragged the man back upstairs, to the elevator. He found a red permanent marker, and wrote a message on the man's gray sweatshirt. He found a folding chair, and sat the man down on it in the elevator. After grabbing a flat head screwdriver and a long crowbar, Calvin set the elevator to go to the 30th floor. He stopped it a few seconds later, pried the elevator door open, opened the external door, and held it open with the screwdriver. He crawled out, and with the crowbar, started the elevator again. As it descended, he jumped on top of the elevator and rode down. A few seconds later, it stopped and opened. A few more seconds passed, until there was a scream from one of the hostages. Calvin watched through the grating as Francois and another Lunarium entered the elevator, and looked at their dead comrade.

"I've got a machine-gun now. Ha-ha-ha." Francois read the message out loud. He scowled.


	3. Frustration, Backup, Explosions

_**Ch. 3 Frustration, Backup, and Explosions**_

_**--**_

The elevator doors closed, and the elevator itself started moving fast upwards. Calvin chanced a look up and saw a concrete beam coming dangerously close. He pressed flat on the elevator, and a few seconds later it stopped. Hr slowly looked up and saw the beam a foot above him. He cautiously got up and looked around. The room he was in appeared to be a maintenance area. He climbed out of the shaft, and headed to the nearest door when he stopped. He heard a wet plop sound, and looked back. He was tracking some kind of liquid; it appeared to be a type of oil. He frowned and removed his shoes.

"Can't be making too much sound if I want to get the drop on these guys." Calvin said quietly. He threw the shoes of into a corner, and headed through the door, then a small flight of stairs, which took him to the roof. No one was around, and the area around the building was bare, still no police. Calvin frowned and turned on his transmitter, and tried to call Combo. It beeped a few times, and then displayed 'NO RESPONSE'. Calvin then tried to contact Skuld.

"Any problems, Dokuja?" she asked.

"Yeah, where are the cops?" Calvin shot back.

"Shiitake is currently at the district headquarters, but he hasn't convinced them yet." Skuld answered.

"Damn, I don't like this one bit." Calvin said, frowning.

"What's happened so far?" Lilith asked.

"Well, I tried activating the fire alarm, but all that did was get some guy after me." Calvin answered.

"You got away from him?" Skuld asked.

"Kinda, I, uh, broke his neck." Calvin continued.

"Jeez, was that necessary?" Skuld asked.

"Well, he _did_ shoot at me. It was all in self defense." Calvin answered.

"Well, what happened after that?" Lilith asked.

"I searched him, took his gun, some C4 he had with him, and a few other things. I then sent him down the elevator to the Lunarium with a message I wrote on him." Calvin continued.

"That's a little cold, Dokuja." Skuld said.

"Yeah, I like it!" Lilith said, chuckling slightly.

"You would, wouldn't you? Regardless, Dokuja, what do you plan on doing next?" Skuld said.

"I really don't know, I want to try to take out each of the Lunarium quickly, and get all of the hostages out of here, especially Sasami." Calvin said, then paused, and looked at the walkie-talkie he clipped to his belt. "Do you think it's possible to contact the police from here?"

"If you had a CB radio, maybe." Lilith answered.

"I have a walkie-talkie, would that work?" Calvin asked.

"It could, some emergency frequencies are on the higher bands, but I don't know about this place. I'd try every band." Skuld answered.

"Ok, I'll contact you again to update the situation, or ask for help." Calvin said, and turned the transmitter off. He unclipped the walkie-talkie and turned on to the highest frequency. "Mayday, mayday, S.O.S., the Naratoma building has been taken over by the Lunarium, I repeat, the Naratoma building has been taken over by the Lunarium!" Calvin waited a few seconds, and received a response.

"Sir, this is an emergency frequency. I must ask that you switch frequencies. If you have an emergency, please use a telephone." the voice on the other end said, in a slightly annoyed tone.

"I can't use a phone! I'm not near one! Just get the authorities down here now." Calvin said firmly.

"Sir, I'll say this again, this is an emergency frequency..." the voice started to say.

"I KNOW THAT! WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING, ORDERING A FUCKING PIZZA? GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE NOW! THEY'VE TAKEN HOSTAGES, AND MIGHT KILL THEM!" Calvin yelled into the radio. He suddenly heard footsteps, and two armed Lunarium came up the stairs. Without thinking, Calvin dove off the side of the platform, on to a smaller platform on the side, just as the Lunarium started shooting. He quickly clipped the walkie-talkie to his belt, and gripped the submachine gun. He held it up over the edge, and blindly fired three bursts. He quickly looked around, and saw a large vent cover. He kicked it open, and crouched inside. There was a large fan spinning slowly. Calvin moved quickly, and jammed the fan with the submachine gun. He crawled through to the other side, just as the Lunarium entered. He un-jammed the fan, and ran to the nearest opening, a small maintenance shaft. He crawled through to the end, and found himself near the elevators again. He crawled out of the shaft, and ran to the door opposite of the one he took earlier. It led to a small room, with an opening to a large vertical air shaft that dropped all the way to the bottom. Calvin removed part of the strap to the submachine gun, and jammed the gun into the opening. He crawled through, and used the strap to lower himself, looking for an open vent. He could feel one with his toes, just below him, when he felt a small jerk. He looked up and saw the gun starting to slip.

"Oh shit." Calvin said. The gun came loose, and he started to fall. He quickly put his hands on the wall in front of him, and managed to catch onto the open vent, and pulled himself in. He laid there in the vent, breathing heavily, his heart pounding. "Note to self, never do something like that again." The vent was dark, and he fumbled around, until he found the lighter in his pocket. He pulled it out, and clicked the flame on. Now with a light source, Calvin slowly crawled through the small, cramped vent. "Now I know what fast food feels like." he said quietly.

To Calvin, it felt like hours crawling through that narrow vent. He was almost caught when some of the Lunarium were randomly clearing rooms, and the vent groaned under his weight. Thankfully, they were called off to a more important matter. Apparently, a member of the police force had stopped out front of the building. As soon as Calvin heard this, he picked up the pace (while remaining as quiet as possible), looking for an exit. Sweat poured down his forehead, getting into his eyes.

"I gotta remember to get something to soak that up." Calvin said quietly. He eventually found an exit, and found himself in a luxuriously furnished room, most likely for high-class banquets or meetings. He ran up to a window and looked outside, and saw a small cruiser sitting outside. "That's it? That's nothing!" he said loudly. He quickly activated his transmitter and contacted Lilith.

"Any problems, Dokuja?" Lilith asked.

"Yeah, what's the deal with the ONE FUCKING CRUISER!?" Calvin yelled.

"Jeez, don't blow out my eardrum. It's all Shiitake could get out here, hopefully we'll get more." Lilith answered.

"How are you holding up?" Skuld asked.

"Well, getting shot at, almost falling to my death, and crawling through a tiny vent isn't the best way to pass the time." Calvin answered sarcastically.

"Welcome to the Black Widows, Dokuja." Combo said, entering the conversation.

"What, you guys do this kind of crap all the time?" Calvin asked.

"Well, maybe not as much as you've experienced in the last two hours, but we do our fair share of danger work." Combo answered.

"As far as I'm concerned, it all feels too cliché, like it's from some action movie." Calvin said, and then paused. "Come to think of it, this situation _has_ been giving me this weird sense of deja vu."

"Yeah, I've been getting the same feeling." Lilith said, and Skuld nodded in agreement.

"I better continue, I'll call back to update my situation." Calvin said, and turned off the transmitter. He looked back down, and saw the police cruiser was still parked. Calvin grimaced. "Better get his attention, we need all the help we can get." he said out loud. He turned around, grabbed a chair, and started smashing it against the window, which slowly started to fracture. After about ten hits, he heard yelling behind him and running footsteps. He dropped the chair, crouched on one knee, and pulled out the desert eagle. Two Lunarium soldiers appeared in the doorway, and hesitated slightly. Calvin saw his chance and plugged one Lunarium in the shoulder and gut, and the other twice in the chest. They both dropped, as a third, the one named Polo, appeared behind them. He quickly fired off a few bursts from his submachine gun, as Calvin dove behind some of the other chairs. Polo ran and jumped on top of one end of the table, prompting Calvin to scramble underneath, on the other end. Polo started shooting at the table, about a foot away, slowly getting closer to Calvin.

"If you're going to shoot someone, make sure you kill them!" Polo yelled. With Polo only a few feet away, Calvin angled the desert eagle in the general direction of Polo and emptied the clip. He heard a slump, and saw blood ooze around the sides of the table.

"Thanks for the advice." he said. He crawled out from under the table, and grabbed Polo's submachine gun, and a backpack he had on him. Calvin looked inside and found some detonators, most likely for the C4. Suddenly, Calvin's transmitter beeped.

"Dokuja, that cop is leaving! Do something!" Skuld yelled. Calvin smirked.

"One step ahead of you." he said.

--

On the ground...

--

Skuld sat in the nearby bushes with Lilith and Combo, watching the cop walk back. She called Calvin on the transmitter.

"Dokuja, that cop is leaving! Do something!" she yelled. She saw Calvin smirk on the display.

"One step ahead of you." he said. Skuld looked over at the cop, who was fumbling his keys in the ignition, when she heard a crash above her. She looked up and saw a limp body falling from a broken window...

...And right onto the police cruiser's hood. The cruiser started suddenly, as gunfire peppered the area around it, and reversed quickly, into a nearby trench. Skuld heard the cop screaming into his radio for backup, and sighed.

"Well, that's one way to get their attention." she said.

--

A few minutes later...

--

"Maybe getting the cops was a bad idea." Calvin said quietly as he watched the group of officers below. It was about 30 minutes after he threw the dead Lunarium out from the building, and now, according to what Skuld, Combo, and Lilith overheard, the police were planning on storming the building, for a second time. The first time was met with a barrage of rockets and bullets from the third floor. "Fremtid, any idea on how to take out the Lunarium?" Calvin asked Skuld through his transmitter.

"Well, what do you have with you at the moment?" Skuld responded. Calvin flicked the subspace ring open and looked in his storage.

"Uh, some ammo, my Desert Eagle, a submachine gun, and some C4 with blast caps." Calvin answered

"C4? Good. Is there anything around that is heavy, and could cause a spark when broken?" Skuld asked. Calvin looked around the room and saw a large computer screen on a desk.

"Would a monitor work?" Calvin asked.

"That's fine. Find something to place the C4 on, a chair or a crate. Then, put a blasting cap in it, and then place the monitor, screen down, over it. Now, this is imperative, you need to be VERY quick doing this, the monitor needs some residual electricity, open an elevator shaft, and drop the entire thing down. The only two things that will set off plastic explosives are heat and pressure, the weight of the monitor plus gravity and the residual electricity should be enough." Skuld explained.

"Got it, I'll respond after the explosion." Calvin replied. He turned off the transmitter, pulled out two blocks of C4, and stuck in seven blasting caps. He then found a wheeled desk chair, placed the C4, and placed the monitor over it. He looked around, found an elevator, and pried the door open. Calvin ran back to the chair, unplugged the monitor, and shoved it, sending it speeding over the edge. He slowly walked up, and looked over the edge. A few seconds later there was a glow, and a rush of fire, which was billowing upwards. Calvin's eyes went wide, and he ran back and dived behind a desk. He felt heat for a few moments, and then the air felt normal again. He turned on his transmitter and called Skuld.

"Did it work?" He asked.

"Dokuja...just how many blasting caps did you use?" Skuld asked

"About seven." He replied.

"SEVEN?! ONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH!" Skuld yelled back.

"Fine, but did I take them out?" Calvin asked.

"Yeah, they're gone." Skuld answered. Calvin shut off his transmitter, when suddenly, the walkie-talkie started to send static, followed by a voice.

"I don't know who you are, but I know you are after the girl. If you want to see her alive, go to the 40th floor." the voice, which Calvin recognized as Francois, said.

"Don't you hurt her, or you'll have hell to pay." Calvin answered.

"An American? Well, this is a surprise! What are you doing in this world, emulating your action heroes, like Clint Eastwood or Harrison Ford?" Francois asked sarcastically.

"I was more partial to Bruce Willis." Calvin answered. He heard Francois scoff. "Well, until we meet, yippee-kai-yay, mother fucker." Calvin finished, and turned off the walkie-talkie.

--

A few minutes later

--

Calvin climbed up the stairs, and ended up outside of the door to the 40th floor. He opened the door slowly, and saw a corridor. A few doors down was an orange glow coming from one of the rooms. Looking around, Calvin saw a janitorial cart, and a roll of tape. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the roll, and taped his Desert Eagle to his back. Walking slowly, he went down the corridor, and into the room with the glow. Inside was Francois, holding a still bound, blindfolded, and gagged Sasami. Next to him was a Lunarium guard, aiming at him. Calvin dropped the submachine gun, and placed his hands behind his head.

"So this is the American who has been giving us so much trouble. Care to give us your name?" Francois said, and then asked.

"All you'll get is Dokuja." Calvin said. At the sound of his voice, Sasami started to squirm, and mumbled something through the gag.

"I see she knows you. Well, lets make sure she sees you again, before you die." Francois said, and removed the blindfold. Sasami blinked a few times, her eyes went wide and filled with tears. "We are the only two left in this attack, American, but once Balthazar hears you've been put down, he'll be relieved this threat is gone. Goodbye, American." Francois raised his gun, and immediately Calvin acted. He ripped the gun off his back, aimed at the Lunarium and shot, putting a bullet in his head. He then quickly aimed at Francois, and shot again, getting him in the shoulder, and shattering the window behind him. He staggered back, pulling Sasami with him, and fell out the window. Calvin ran forward and grabbed onto her arm. He still felt her being pulled, and looked over the edge. Francois was gripping the sleeve of her shirt, trying to climb back up. He saw Calvin, and tried to aim his gun. Calvin quickly whipped out his combat knife, and cut the sleeve. A look of shock came over Francois, as he plummeted to the ground. Calvin pulled Sasami back, undid the gag and the bonds.

"Oh Calvin, thank Tsunami you're here!" She sobbed, and hugged him tightly. He returned the hug, and patted her back.

"It's ok, I'm getting you home." Calvin said quietly. Then, out of blue, Sasami kissed Calvin, full on the lips, for three seconds, after which she buried her face into his shoulder and cried.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again." She said between sobs. Calvin stood there, stunned. After a few moments, Calvin gained his composure.

"Let's go, I don't know if this building is in danger of collapsing." Calvin said. Sasami looked at him and nodded.

--

A few minutes later

--

Calvin exited the building with Sasami. She was still gripping on to him tightly, her face still buried in his shoulder. He looked around, and saw Skuld, Lilith, and Combo standing a few yards away. He walked over to them, and smiled.

"Sasami, I'd like you to meet a few people who helped me search for you." Calvin said. Sasami looked up from Calvin's shoulder at the group. Skuld's eyes went wide.

"MIN GUD!" She yelled, and quickly dropped to her hands and knees, bowing her head. Lilith looked down, and raised an eyebrow. Skuld looked back up and glared at Lilith. "Vis noe respekt, det er Tsunami's valgte!" she said. Lilith's eyes widened.

"Oh!" Lilith exclaimed, and bowed at Sasami. "It is an honor to meet you, child of Tsunami." Lilith said.

"Please, you do not need to bow." Sasami replied. Skuld quickly jumped to her feet.

"Of course, of course!" Skuld said shakily.

"Who are you, anyway?" Sasami asked.

"I am Skuld, Goddess first class, limited." Skuld said.

"And I am Lilith, Demon first class, limited." Lilith said, as the wings on her back, and the smaller ones on her head, appeared.

"Uh, my name is Kombucha, but I prefer Combo." Combo said, laughing nervously. Sasami looked over at Calvin.

"What interesting people you have met, Calvin." She said.

"So your name is really Calvin, huh? It fits." Lilith said.

"Right. Now we need to get back to our world." Calvin said.

"It's not possible." Skuld said quietly.

"WHAT? What do you mean?" Calvin asked loudly.

"The wall has a barrier, people can only enter, not exit. I believe it was the doing of the man in charge of this invasion, Balthazar." Skuld answered.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Calvin asked. A small chime started to go off, and Combo fumbled around in his pocket, pulling out a cell phone. He answered it, mumbled a few things, and hung up.

"Well, I have our answer. Balthazar has a weapon being developed on a frozen island to the north. The only info I have on it is the name, Steel Cog." Combo said grimly.

--  
From the left of our view steps Sasami, Lilith, and Skuld. Sasami is dressed as Rei Ayanami from Evangelion, Lilith is dressed as Cammy from Street Fighter, and Skuld is dressed as KOS-MOS from Xenosaga.

"Hello readers, you just finished part one of Beyond Dreams, good for you!" Sasami says.

"Stay around for part two, where we encounter a military base, tactical action, and a mysterious ninja!" Lilith says. Skuld looks at her.

"Don't you think that Halloween costume is a little, uh, risqué?" Skuld asks.

"Not as bad as those five." Lilith answers pointing to Urd, Morrigan, Ryoko, Mara, and Peorth, dressed in very revealing Sailor Scout outfits, drinking from a free alcohol bar.

"Better grab the fire extinguisher, knowing those five." Sasami says. Nearby, Calvin, Pepito, and Todd sit in front of a TV.

"Who are they talking to?" Todd asks, setting down the Xbox 360 controller and peering off in the distance.

"Just ignore them, and help me float this teleporter." Calvin says.


	4. Dark Prophet, Distant Early Warning

_**Ch. 4 Dark Prophet, and a Distant Early Warning...**_

--

"Right now the camouflage is about 90 completed, I should be able to send it to you soon." Washu said to Calvin through the transmitter. Calvin was sitting at the front of the yacht, heading due north to their next destination, the island Dark Prophet. Combo didn't learn much about the secret weapon Balthazar's forces were developing, only that it could mean the end of Yume. If they could destroy this weapon before it was finished, they would have a better chance at defeating Balthazar and his Lunarium, and ultimately, opening the barrier.

"Can you at least do something about the cold weather? I'm starting to freeze." Calvin asked.

"I'm sure I can find something, give me a few moments." Washu answered. A few seconds later a ball of electricity appeared next to Calvin, and morphed into a medium sized metal box. Calvin opened the lid and found a thick, tough, gray-black body suit inside. "That suit should help prevent hypothermia. Also, it will silence your movement, so you'll be able to sneak up on enemies easier." Washu said.

"What else is in here?" Calvin asked, as he took out the suit.

"Well, there's a bandanna in there, to help keep you hair out of your eyes, and to absorb any sweat on your brow. I've also included an anti-freezing peptide, to further your protection against hypothermia." Washu said. Calvin pulled out a long blue-black bandanna. He noticed there was an infinity symbol sewn into it. He then pulled out a small white pouch with Washu's crab symbol stamped on the front. Inside he found five syringes and a small bottle filled with clear liquid.

"Wait, needles? I'm not taking a needle!" Calvin said nervously.

"Sorry, it's the only way. Right now you should be more concerned about the suit fitting you." Washu said.

"By the way, have you given Sasami her transmitter yet?"

"No, I'll do that now, before I change." Calvin answered. He shut off the transmitter, opened up his subspace storage, and took out the transmitter. He then grabbed the suit and headed below deck. Combo was still piloting the yacht, though he seemed to be nodding off. He walked down into the medium sized kitchen, and headed down the small corridor that led to the cabins. He found the women's cabin door open, and walked inside.

"You know how extremely difficult it is to find a guy who isn't distracted by the rest of my body? Add that to the succubus glamor, and I can barely find a guy who will even keep eye contact during a conversation. 'Hey, let's talk this band I like!' 'What? Sorry, I didn't hear you because I'm staring at your chest.' God it's annoying. I'm just glad I'm not flat anymore!" Lilith ranted.

"Tell me about it, especially when you have an older sister hassling you. She'd always bring that up as a sign of authority. It was almost unbearable, I'm happy she finally stopped with the pancake comments." Skuld added.

"Heh, I've been through similar situations. Though it's easy if you have a pretty commanding voice, and a glare." Sasami added. Calvin felt his face burning, and coughed loudly. All three girls jumped and looked over at the door. "Calvin! Uh, we were..." Sasami started to say.

"Yeah, I'm going to pretend I never heard any of that. Here, it's a transmitter Washu designed for you. Um, I'll uh, talk to you later." Calvin said quickly, and walked out of the room. He went to the men's cabin to try on the suit.

--

A few minutes later

--

Calvin had just finished tying on the bandanna of the outfit. He found the suit somewhat constricting, but he didn't feel cold anymore, and the bandanna did keep the hair out of his eyes. He walked out of the cabin and found Sasami standing in the hallway.

"Hey, Washu contacted me, I'm supposed to tell you my frequency. It's 140.15." Sasami said.

"Yeah, mine is 141.41. I'm going to see if were close to the island yet." Calvin said quickly, still embarrassed about the earlier conversation. He started to walk to the stairs leading above deck.

"Calvin, Washu told me about the peptide." Sasami said. Calvin stopped in his tracks.

"I'm not taking it." He said bluntly.

"Calvin you have to, I already took mine, and everyone else has." Sasami said.

"Where did you find it anyway?" Calvin asked.

"You left it in the box." Sasami answered.

"Whatever, I'm still not taking it." Calvin said, and started to walk away. Sasami sighed.

"Calvin you should have done it the easy way." Sasami said. Suddenly, Lilith and Skuld appeared at Calvin's right and left. They grabbed his arms and held him against a wall.

"HEY! I said I don't want to take the shot." Calvin yelled.

"Sorry Calvin, but it's so you don't freeze, now hold still." Sasami said, as she pulled out a syringe.

--

Above deck...

--

Combo winced as he heard Calvin scream his head off and yell obscenity's. He shook his head.  
"Kid should've agreed to it." He said, then looked at a shadowy form appear in the distance. "Almost there..."

--

Minutes later...

--

Calvin rubbed the spot on his arm where he got the shot, it still stung sharply. He had his head down on the small table below deck, trying to take his mind off the pain. Sasami sat across from him.  
"You know, you sometimes drive me crazy." Calvin said. Sasami chuckled. "I'm still worried about you, though. I mean, we don't know what's going to happen when we get there. Plus this world is weighing down on me, and what am I to do? I'm just one guy."

"I know, but you got to keep fighting. I'm worried about you too, I don't want to see you get hurt." Sasami replied. Calvin remembered the kiss she gave him back at Naratoma.

"By the way..." Calvin started to say, when he was interrupted.

"Hey, we're there, you can see the icebergs around the base." Lilith said, walking down the small stairway. Calvin sighed.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" he asked. Lilith smirked.

"Nope." She replied, and tossed something at him. It landed in front of his face on the table, and picked it up. There was a small cylindrical object with a mouthpiece, and a scuba mask.

"I have to swim there, in this cold water? Just great." Calvin groaned. He picked up the cylinder with the mouthpiece. "What's this thing?"

"Skuld made it, she called it an Oxidizer. Apparently it takes the oxygen out of the water." Lilith answered. Calvin put the mask on and walked upwards to the deck, followed by Sasami and Lilith. They were pretty close to the island, but the only visible entrance was a heavily guarded dock.

"So how am I supposed to get in?" Calvin asked.

"Well, there is a hidden entrance on the left side, used by submarines." Combo said, at the yacht controls. Skuld stood next to him. Calvin placed the Oxidizer in his mouth, and sat on the side of the yacht.

"We'll support you the transmitter, as usual." Skuld said. Calvin nodded, and fell off the side of the boat.

--

30 minutes later...

--

Calvin was surprised that the suit kept him warm in the freezing water. He could see what looked like a metal structure ahead of him, and swam towards it. He popped his head above the water, and saw the structure was a set of metal stairs. He grabbed the side and pulled himself up out of the water. He took the Oxidizer out of his mouth, reached for his transmitter, and contacted the rest of the group.

"I've infiltrated the base." Calvin said.

"Good, we have Sekishoku on the line, she has an update for you." Skuld said. Washu's face appeared, and below it was a black bar slowly turning green.

"I'm uploading an update to your transmitter, when it's done, exit this visual to see it." she said. The black bar turned green, and Calvin turned off the visual. In the upper right corner of his vision, he saw a small green box with a map of the surrounding area, and a white dot in the middle. He also saw a red dot with a blue cone moving away from the white dot. "That white dot is you, Dokuja. The red dot is the enemy, and the blue cone is their field of vision."

"Pretty nifty, Sekishoku." Calvin said.

"Yes, but it jams easily. If you are in an area with strong harmonic resonance, or the enemy is using a signal scrambler, you won't be able to use it. It also will jam from high adrenaline levels, usually if you have been spotted." Washu said.

"Is it fixable?" Calvin asked.

"Not at the moment, but I'm working on it." Washu answered.

"Got it, I'll contact back if I have any questions." Calvin said, and turned off the transmitter. He slowly moved up the stairs, and hid behind a large crate. He saw one enemy moving away from him on the radar, and another moving towards him. Calvin reached for his Desert Eagle, only to find nothing. Calvin patted the holster a few times, and cursed silently. "Damn, I must have left it on the boat." he said. He watched as the red dot moved closer, and tensed.

A guard in a white uniform passed him, stopped a few feet away, and yawned. Calvin quickly moved behind him and put him in a headlock. The guard struggled, and Calvin squeezed tighter. The guard soon lost consciousness and slumped. Calvin dragged him to a dark corner, and crept to the other side of the room. The other guard he saw on his radar earlier was still moving away from him. Calvin found a set of lockers and an elevator. He opened the locker, and luckily found a pistol. He checked it out, and looked at the ammo. Instead of bullets, they were small darts with three z's painted on the side. "Must be a tranquilizer gun." Calvin said, and headed for the elevator. It was empty, and pressed the button to go up. As he waited, he took off the scuba mask and adjusted the suit. When the doors finally opened, Calvin found himself outside, at a heliport...


	5. Inconvenient Discoveries, Shoot

_**Ch. 5 Inconvenient Discoveries (Don't Think, Shoot!)**_

--

Calvin crouched and moved as fast as he could through the heliport. The tranquilizer gun he found was proving to be a big help; one round into the neck or chest would knock a man out in three seconds. There was only one problem, if Calvin was discovered, the gun wouldn't be much help. He needed an actual firearm, so Calvin started to search. He ran and stopped behind a large crate, and checked his radar. Nearby was a stationary guard, dozing. Calvin quietly stepped out from the crate, and walked past the snoozing guard. To his right was a cargo truck, which was somewhat full. Calvin climbed up into the truck bed and looked around. Tucked behind a large wooden crate was a small box labeled SOCOM.

Calvin opened it up and found a decent sized pistol, but unlike the tranquilizer gun, it was missing the suppressor. Calvin holstered the SOCOM pistol, and took the few clips of ammo it had. He then climbed out of the truck, and went up nearby set of stairs. Calvin used the tranq gun to silence a distracted guard, and then searched him. The guard had two flash-bang grenades, and a small circle shaped package labeled RATION. Calvin took both, and then looked around again. The only opening into the base was a large door, but the controls to open it were nowhere near. Calvin took a few more steps, looked down, and to his luck, found an open vent. Calvin sighed and crawled into the vent. After a few minutes of calling, Calvin's transmitter beeped. He answered it and was greeted by Combo.

"Dokuja, your in luck, I managed to contact one of our field experts." Combo said. A blond man wearing sunglasses then replaced his image.

"Hello Dokuja, I was the instructor for most of the forces in the Black Widows, you can call me Major." the man said.

"Right. So what information can you provide for me?" Calvin asked.

"Tactics, and how to deal with the weather, I myself live on a nearby island with a similar climate." Major said.

"Well, if I have any questions, I'll contact you." Calvin said. He then continued to crawl through the vent.

"So, did you hear about the two intruders?" Calvin heard a voice say. He stopped moving, and slowly looked down. He could see through a metal grating two guards.

"No, what about?" the second guard asked.

"Well, one of them was a woman, one of the perimeter guards found her trying to break open a locked door. From what I've heard she's a pretty good fighter, and built too." the first guard said.

"What about the second one?" the second guard asked.

"Well, that one we got to watch out for. Apparently he's already killed three of our guys." the first guard said.

"What!" the second guard gasped. He started to aim his rifle around wildly.

"Calm down, the kills were on the other side of the base." the first guard said. A loud tone came through the radios of both guards. "Come on, lets get to the mess hall before the good food is taken by those Lunarium guys."

"Yeah, what's there deal? They're always quiet." the second guard said as the two walked off. Calvin raised an eyebrow, and then continued to crawl through the vent. He found an opening, and dropped down onto a catwalk. He crouched and contacted Combo through the transmitter.

"I just heard two guards talking. Apparently I'm not the only intruder here. Also, I don't think all the guards here are Lunarium." Calvin said.

"Hmm. Well, I can give you an explanation for the guards. As for the intruders, I got nothing. The base you are at was actually a military complex for Emerald Light, but it was recently taken over by Balthazar. The guards you saw were probably brainwashed. Also, keep an eye out for two men by the name of Anders and Booker." Combo said.

"What's special about them?" Calvin asked.

"They both know details about the weapon being developed, and they might help you out." Combo said. Calvin shut off the transmitter, and continued on. He walked down a flight of stairs and found himself on the main floor of the building he was in. It was a large room, and it held two tanks, but only one was assembled. Calvin quietly walked through to the other side of the room, to an elevator. He entered it and went down one level. When the doors opened, Calvin found himself in a small prison area. Unfortunately, the only two doors he saw were locked. Calvin walked down the hall, and saw a ladder leading to an open vent. Seeing no other choice, he climbed and entered the vent. After crawling through for a few minutes, Calvin heard movement below him. He looked down through the grating and saw a woman he recognized doing sit-ups.

"Sasami?!" Calvin exclaimed. Sasami looked up from the bed, and a look of surprise, followed by a smile, crossed her face. Calvin tried to open the grating in the vent, but it wouldn't budge. He looked back down at Sasami, and she motioned to the wall next to her. Calvin raised an eyebrow, and Sasami mouthed the words 'Next Cell'. Calvin nodded and crawled forward. He soon came upon another cell, and looked through the grating. An older, tired looking man paced back and forth in the cell. Calvin checked the grating, it was loose, and he easily popped it open. He dropped down, and startled the man.

"Who...who are you?" the man asked.

"Just some guy sent it to take out a weapon." Calvin answered.

"What! You must be talking about Steel Cog. I was wondering when Emerald Light would send someone in. My name is Anders, Ronald Anders, by the way." the man, now known as Anders, said.

"Just call me Dokuja. Do you have any information on Steel Cog?" Calvin answered and asked.

"You mean you don't know anything about it yet? Figures Emerald Light would send you in uninformed. Well, to start, Steel Cog is a revolutionary weapon, a bipedal tank, equipped with a vast array of weapons." Anders answered.

"Hm, sounds familiar for some reason. It doesn't sound that bad, though." Calvin said.

"Oh, this thing gets worse. It is capable of firing nuclear weapons." Anders continued. Calvin's eyes widened. "We decided to build it to take down Balthazar once and for all, but, he caught wind of it, and sent his Lunarium forces here."

"What about the nukes, shouldn't they have some code to keep it from firing?" Calvin asked.

"Oh, you mean a PAL. Yes, there's a PAL, I have one, and Booker, our weapons supplier, has the other. But..." Anders said, and then stopped.

"But what?" Calvin asked.

"I...I gave them my code! I couldn't help it! It was Insane Insect, he has psychic powers, you can't resist!" Anders said with a cry.

"Who is Insane Insect?" Calvin asked.

"One of the members of the Lunarium Special forces, they were sent here to command the group. He was the one who brainwashed all of the normal guards." Anders answered.

"Right. Well, we need to get you out of here." Calvin said. Anders dug around in his pocket, and pulled out a small blue card with the number one on it.

"Here, this is a SAN card, it'll help you open the doors around here." Anders said.

"SAN?" Calvin said, perplexed.

"It stands for Secure Area Network. The card will only work if you have it on your person. It works by creating an electrical field with the salts in your body, and opens the doors automatically." Anders explained.

"Hm, pretty nifty. Any idea where I might find Booker?" Calvin asked.

"The last I heard, he was moved to a room on the floor below us, but they just walled off most of the entrances. However, they didn't have time to paint them." Anders answered.

"Got it, let's go." Calvin said. He turned and started to head for the door, when Anders grabbed his arm.

"Wait! Have you been informed if there is any other way to stop the nukes?" Anders asked. Calvin shook his head. "What about the Lunarium, have they taken over any more islands?"

"Why do you care?" Calvin asked. Anders started to say something, but stopped, groaned, and grabbed his chest. He fell to the floor, groaning loudly. "What the hell!" Calvin yelled. He heard the door to Sasami's cell bang loudly. Anders spasmed on the floor, then went still. Calvin pressed a finger to his neck. Calvin frowned.

"He's dead." Calvin then heard a scuffle in Sasami's cell, and a male groan. A few moments later, the door to the cell Calvin was in opened, and Calvin cautiously stepped out, only to be see an unconscious guard in his boxer shorts. Calvin spun around and saw Sasami in the guard's uniform, pulling on the balaclava. She looked into the cell that contained Ander's corpse, and gasped.

"What happened!" She yelled.

"I don't know, I think he had a heart attack." Calvin said. Suddenly, an alarm went off, and the sound of running footsteps came down the corridor. Calvin quickly pulled out the SOCOM, and looked over at Sasami. She was holding the guard's FAMAS automatic rifle. "Can you shoot that?" he asked.

"I've never shot a real gun before." Sasami said quietly.

"Just aim and pull the trigger, we don't have much time!" Calvin yelled. The door to the room opened, and three guards ran in. Calvin quickly plugged each guard in the chest. He looked over at Sasami, who was starting to shake. "Don't think about it, just try to not get hurt!" he yelled. Three more guards ran in, and Sasami closed her eyes and yelled. She shot the FAMAS at full auto in their general direction, and managed to kill all three. More guards poured in, and Calvin expertly took them out, as Sasami fired random bursts, taking out a few. After what seemed like hours, the guards stopped coming. The floor was covered in blood, and Sasami was shaking severely.

"I...I can't be in here!" she yelled, and ran out. Calvin ran after her, and saw her enter the elevator. Suddenly, a man in a gas mask and a trench coat appeared, floating over the elevator as the doors closed.

"Good girl..." he said, and floated up, phasing through the ceiling. Calvin stared, and rubbed his eyes. Shaking his head, Calvin walked up, used the elevator, and descended to basement level 2. When the doors opened, he cautiously stepped forward, SOCOM drawn. Seeing nobody, he quietly moved forward. He was in a room with many smaller rooms, with different weapons labeled on the door. There was only one door that would open with Calvin's level 1 card, and inside he found some C4. Other than that, the area was rather quiet. As he walked through the narrow corridors, he suddenly heard a click, and felt his foot sink slightly. He jumped back, just as part of the floor fell away, opening to a narrow pit. Calvin felt his heart pounding, and leaned and leaned against a wall to calm down. He breathed heavily, and holstered the SOCOM. As he did, his elbow hit the wall behind him, and made a loud dull thunk.

Calvin raised an eyebrow, and hit the wall. Once again, the wall made the sound. He hit a different section of the wall, but did not hear the noise. Calvin got up, and looked at the wall. The part of the wall that made the sound was a different color than the rest. Calvin thought for a second, and then placed a C4 charge on the strange wall. He backed up and activated it. The C4 detonated, and as the dust cleared, a new hallway was opened. Calvin entered and walked down, only to be met with a dead end. He looked around, and saw another strange wall. He used another charge, and found another hallway, which led to another dead end and strange wall. Calvin scoffed.

"What the hell are they trying to hide?" Calvin said out loud. He destroyed that wall, and found a small, square room. There were five metal supports, in a concrete base, four making a square, and one in the center. Wires criss-crossed between the posts. Calvin walked around the odd set up, and found an old man tied to the center support. He appeared to be dead. Calvin slowly walked up to the old man, and was startled when the man started to cough violently. "You must be Booker. I'm getting you out of here." Calvin said. He walked forward and reached for a wire.

"NO! D-Don't touch that wire!" the man said. Calvin stopped, and looked around. All the wires led to different C4 charges.

"Christ." Calvin said quietly. Calvin then heard (barely) a click. He jumped back, just as a bullet whizzed in front of him. He quickly pulled out his SOCOM, and looked around. He spotted another old man in reddish brown trench coat, spinning a revolver on his finger.

"That's right, touch the wire, and the C4 blows up, along with the old man." the man in the trench coat said.

"Who are you!?" Calvin yelled. The man chuckled. He spun the revolver around, threw it in the air, and caught it, spinning it again.

"I am one of the greatest marksmen to ever live. I am Six-Shooter Jaguar." the man said. The man started to reload his revolver. "This is the finest handgun ever made, the Colt Single Action Army. Six bullets, more than enough to kill anything that moves. Well then." he said, as he finished reloading. He holstered the revolver, and stared at Calvin. Calvin raised an eyebrow, and holstered the SOCOM. They stared each other for what felt like an hour. "DRAW" Jaguar yelled, pulled out the revolver. Calvin dove behind one of the supports, and pulled out the SOCOM. "Hiding won't help you. A gun's power isn't in its velocity, but it's caliber." Jaguar said.

Calvin looked through a hole in the support, and saw Jaguar aiming at the wall. He fired, and the bullet ricocheted around, and nearly hit Calvin. Calvin quickly jumped out from the support and fired a shot in Jaguar's general direction. It hit a pipe next to him, and steam shot out into his face.

"Argh, I can't see!" Jaguar yelled. Calvin took the opening and fired to rounds into Jaguar's chest. Jaguar spun behind a support. "You're pretty good, luckily I'm wearing a bullet-proof vest." Jaguar said. He jumped out again, and aimed at Calvin. Suddenly, there was a sharp, whip like sound, followed by a wet thunk. Jaguar's hand was cut off. He screamed as blood poured from his stump. Calvin quickly looked around, and saw something darting around, it was moving to fast to make out. A sound of metal on metal was heard, followed by a creaking. The four outer supports were cut, and fell, blowing up the C4, but luckily not injuring Calvin or Booker. Jaguar grabbed his hand (and gun), and ran out.

"You were lucky this time!" He yelled. Calvin heard a loud thump behind him, and quickly turned around. There was an odd figure, in a bluish full metal suit, with a single red glowing eye on the featureless head. The figure was holding a katana, and looked at Calvin. He suddenly flipped backward, and ran at Calvin, sword up. Calvin dodged the first slice, and quickly spun around and aimed his gun. The sword was inches from his neck, but Calvin's SOCOM was aimed point blank at the single red eye. There was a moment of silence, and then the figure whipped the sword around, until it disappeared. With a crackle of electricity, he disappeared, but Calvin could hear loud thunks and thumps as the figure jumped and ran off. Calvin stared at the hole in the wall he believed the figure ran off through.

"What the hell!?" Calvin said.


	6. Big Man, Fistfight

_A.N: Sorry for the delay in the post, some family issues came up. Enjoy the new chapters, I hope to be posting more soon!_

_--_

_I Can't Remember Anything  
Can't Tell If this Is True or Dream  
Deep down Inside I Feel to Scream  
this Terrible Silence Stops Me  
Now That the War Is Through with Me  
I'm Waking up I Can Not See  
That There's Not Much Left of Me  
Nothing Is Real but Pain Now_

_Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death  
Oh Please God, wake Me_

_Back in the Womb its Much Too Real  
in Pumps Life That I must Feel  
but Can't Look Forward to Reveal  
Look to the Time When I'll Live  
Fed Through the Tube That Sticks in Me  
Just like a Wartime Novelty  
Tied to Machines That Make Me Be  
Cut this Life off from Me_

_Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death  
Oh Please God, wake Me_

_Now the World Is Gone I'm Just One  
Oh God, help Me Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death  
Oh Please God Help Me_

_Darkness_

_Imprisoning Me  
All That I See  
Absolute Horror  
I Cannot Live  
I Cannot Die  
Trapped in Myself  
Body My Holding Cell_

_Land mine_

_Has Taken My Sight  
Taken My Speech  
Taken My Hearing  
Taken My Arms  
Taken My Legs  
Taken My Soul  
Left Me with Life in Hell_

_One – Metallica_

_--_

_**Ch. 6 Big man in a little Tank, and Fistfight Insanity**_

--

Calvin carefully moved Booker to a nearby wall. With a heavy sigh, Booker leaned back on the wall, and sat quietly for a few moments.

"Thanks for trying to help me, kid, but it's too late for me." Booker said.

"What do you mean? You look okay." Calvin said.

"Heh, if I only was. That bastard Jaguar injected me with a poison. That contraption he set up was just to watch me die." Booker continued.

"Damn! First Anders, and now you!" Calvin said, and punched a spot on the wall.

"What happened to Ronald?" Booker asked.

"He suddenly died in front of me, like he had a heart attack." Calvin replied.

"Did he say anything about his PAL?" Booker asked.

"Yeah...they Lunarium got the code." Calvin answered. Booker slumped.

"Then it's all over, Yume is in the hands of Balthazar now." Booker said grimly.

"Why do you say that?" Calvin asked.

"I...I told them my PAL." Booker replied. Calvin groaned and hit his head on the wall.

"Insane Insect got it from you too?" Calvin asked.

"No, he failed, thanks to my mental shielding." Booker said, and started to cough.

"What? But Insect got the PAL from Anders, how did they get it from you?" Calvin asked.

"Jaguar. He tortured it out of me. I swear he isn't human; the bastard enjoyed every minute of it. Electrical shocks and burns, he even broke my arm." Booker replied.

"Looks like you're even now, his got sliced off." Calvin said, making a chopping motion with his right hand over his left wrist.

"Heh, you're a funny guy. But did you say Insect got Ander's PAL?" Booker asked.

"Yeah, he told me before he died." Calvin said.

"That can't be right, Ander's had mental shielding as well. Are you sure you heard him right?" Booker asked.

"Yeah. Is there anyway to stop Steel Cog from being activated?" Calvin asked.

"There is one way. There is a card, it contains the PAL codes. It will deactivate Steel Cog if they input the PAL codes, it's a back-up in a sense." Booker explained.

"So it just reverses the PAL? Where is this card?" Calvin asked. Booker coughed.

"Yes, it reverses the PAL only if it has been entered. As for where it is, I gave it to a girl I was imprisoned with shortly. She was an odd looking one, blue hair and pink eyes." Booker said.

"Heh, then I should be able to find it. I know her." Calvin said. "I can try and take you to basement floor one, we may be able to find an antidote for you."

"No, I won't make it." Booker said. He reached into his coat and pulled out a disc and a card. "Please take this. It's a copy of all of Steel Cog's data, and a level two SAN card. I hid it from the guards. Try to get this back to Emerald Light, we can still use it to stop Steel Cog." Calvin grabbed the disc and the card and looked at it, as Booker started to cough loudly. There was a final raspy cough, and Booker slumped forward, dead. Calvin frowned, and left the room. As the door behind him closed, he immediately tried to contact Sasami with the transmitter. After a few beeps, she responded.

"Calvin! Are you okay?" Sasami asked.

"Yeah, but I should be asking you that question." Calvin answered.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I'm in an enemy uniform, so I shouldn't be noticed. I'm sorry for running off like that. I'm slightly phobic of blood." Sasami said.

"Where are you now?" Calvin asked.

"I'm in the tank room, trying to act as inconspicuous as possible." Sasami answered.

"There was an old man by the name of Booker, I talked with him a few minutes earlier, and he said he gave you a card." Calvin said.

"You met that guy? It was strange, I was put in the cell with him, and he handed me the card when the guards weren't looking. He was taken away shortly." Sasami said.

"Well, that card is our only hope in stopping Steel Cog. I'm heading your way now." Calvin said.

--

A few minutes later...

--

Calvin watched the elevator doors open. He carefully looked out, and hid behind a crate in a dark corner. His transmitter beeped, and he answered it.

"I can't meet up with you in the tank room, I was almost discovered." Sasami said.

"Where are you now?" Calvin asked.

"There is a second building nearby. I jammed the door so you can get to it. Careful though, I over heard the guards here, and they activated a security system until the door is fixed. There are trip lasers lining the halls, and they'll set off nerve gas." Sasami said.

"Right. I'll head to building two as soon as possible." Calvin said. He looked around the tank room and saw the jammed door as well as a level two door. Calvin carefully moved over past the jammed door and into the level two door. Inside was some sort of supply storage. Looking around quickly, Calvin found a suppressor for his SOCOM, a mine detector, and a pair of thermal goggles. He exited and headed to the jammed door. Calvin put on the goggles, and saw thin red lines moving up and down along the wide hall. He slowly moved under each laser, and made it the door at the end. It opened, and Calvin was outside in a field. The door closed behind him, and his transmitter started to beep again.

"Dokuja, be careful! There are Claymore mines out there! Use a mine detector!" he heard a garbled, raspy voice say.

"Who is this!?" Calvin asked harshly.

"Let's just say, I'm one of your...fans. Also, there is a tank waiting ahead to ambush you." the voice said, before cutting off. Calvin tried contacting the strange person again, but got no response. Shrugging, he pulled out the mine detector and turned it on. Within a few minutes he found and deactivated five land mines. The detector stopped beeping, and Calvin put it in the subspace storage ring. Moving slowly ahead, Calvin saw the tank. Standing up through the hatch was a large, Native American looking man, with tattoos all over his body. He laughed loudly, and pointed at Calvin.

"I've been waiting for you, intruder. You're the one who has interested the boss, but you won't live to see him!" the man said, and lowered into the tank. Calvin dove behind a large rocky section as a tank round decimated the spot he was standing in earlier. Calvin sat and waited, and the tank moved closer. He heard the hatch open and looked over the rock. He saw a Lunarium soldier climb partway out and man the turret on top of the tank. Calvin pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it into the air. It landed by the turret and rolled through the hatch into the tank. He waited until he heard the explosion, ran up to the main gun on the tank, and threw a grenade down it. A few seconds later there was another explosion, and a Lunarium guard was launched out, on fire, and landed in the snow in front of Calvin. He scrambled up and tried to beat the flames away. Calvin punched the Lunarium guard in the face, and knocked him out. The guard fell back onto the snow, and the flames were put out. Calvin searched the guard and found a level three SAN card. He then headed to the door at the other end of the field, and entered the second building.

Inside, Calvin looked at his surroundings. It looked like a type of loading dock, with a small area to control the doors. At the other end of the room, a large door was raised slightly, with barely enough room to crawl under. Calvin approached the door and started to move under it when his transmitter beeped.

"Dokuja, whatever you do, do NOT fire any weapon in the room you're entering. There are diffused nuclear warheads in there, they won't explode, but will leak plutonium if broken." Lilith said.

"Don't worry, I altered his brain patterns, he'll be unable to reach for any weapon." Washu responded.

"WHAT! What will I do if I'm spotted?" Calvin asked.

"Hide, that's the best you can do." Washu said. Calvin grumbled, turned off the transmitter, and crawled to the other side. It was sparsely guarded, but Calvin kept sharp. He crouched, and moved over to a nearby stairway. There was a guard a few feet away, looking the other direction. Calvin slowly moved up the stairs, trying to avoid making any noise. After what felt like an eternity, Calvin made it to the top, and slowly headed over to an elevator. He turned on the transmitter and tried to contact Sasami. He received no response. Sighing, Calvin pressed the B1 button, and descended to the Basement.  
When the elevator doors opened, he found himself in an ornate hallway, with a dark marble floor, and highly decorative wood walls. Calvin walked around, and found a pair of bathrooms, and a large office room. He went inside the office room, which had only one guard (who was sleeping). Calvin quietly moved around, and found a box labeled NIKITA. Inside he found a large, strange missile launcher, with a view screen. He put it in his subspace storage, and headed back to the elevator. He pressed the B2 button, and headed down to the next level.  
The elevator doors opened, and Calvin found himself in a bland, steel room, with bare pipes lining the walls. A single door lied ahead. Calvin walked towards the door when his transmitter beeped.

"Be careful Dokuja, that room is filled with poison gas! Also, the floor is electrified, use a remote controlled missile to destroy the power source." he heard the garbled, raspy voice say.

"You again! Now who are you? Give me a name." Calvin said.

"I guess you could call me Ippan-Oni." the voice said, and then cut off. Calvin growled. He opened his subspace ring and took out the NIKITA missile launcher.

"I guess this thing must be what he was talking about." Calvin said. He took a deep breath, and stepped through the door. On the other side, the hall was filled with a yellowish haze, and he could see the metal floor sparking. Coming out of the floor by the wall on the right was a cable, and it ran up and to the other side. Calvin aimed the NIKITA straight ahead and fired. The view screen came to life, and showed what the missile "saw" through a camera. Calvin quickly learned the controls, and carefully moved the missile down the hall. He came to a fork, and moved the missile right. Calvin's lungs felt like they were going to burst, but he kept his breath held, and eventually the missile found it's target. There was an explosion, and the floors stopped sparking. Calvin immediately left for the elevator. After a few deep breaths, he ran back in. It was a large cubicle style office complex. Most of the rooms wouldn't open, but he found one that did. Inside, he was lucky enough to find a gas mask. He ran back out to the elevator, took a few more fresh breaths, and then donned the mask.

He entered the gas filled hall again, able to search better. He didn't find much, a bit more ammo, and another flash-bang. Moving along, Calvin found a door marked at level four, but the reader was broken, as if smashed open. The door opened freely, and Calvin entered. The air was clean, and Calvin took off the mask. It was eerily quiet, and Calvin moved cautiously ahead. He approached another door, when a guard was suddenly thrown up against it from the other side. Calvin jumped back, and watched through the small window as the guard slid down; leaving a trail of blood that obstructed the view. He heard the faint sound of gunshots and screams. After a few moments they ended, and Calvin moved through the door. On the other side, Calvin turned pale at the sight that lied before him. Dead guards littered the floor, cut into pieces. Blood pooled on the floor, and dripped from the walls. Suddenly, there was a loud crunch. Calvin was startled and looked down the hall, just in time to see a guard fall off the wall onto the ground. There was a loud electrical crack, then silence. Calvin moved ahead, and found another level four door with a broken reader.  
Calvin entered, and found himself in a large room filled with cubicle walls and super computers. He then heard an electronic sounding chuckle.

"I'm surprised a goddess is on this base. Tell me, do you know where my friend is?" he heard the voice say. Calvin looked to his left, the source of the voice, and saw the strange figure in the full metal suit, facing the opposite direction. In front of the figure was (surprisingly) Skuld, on the floor, her back to a couple of lockers, holding her ankle.

"What friend? How did you know I'm goddess?" Skuld said. Calvin quickly pulled out his SOCOM and fired at the figure. In the blink of an eye, the figure twisted around, katana drawn, and cut the bullet in half. One half lodged into the floor, the other into the wall. Skuld took this opportunity to open one of the lockers and hide inside. The figure looked back at the lockers.

"You go ahead and watch from your box seat." The figure said. "Dokuja, we finally have a formal meeting. How I have waited for this moment."

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Calvin asked.

"Just a passing warrior, trying to clear my mind. All I ask from you, is a fight to the death." the figure answered.

"What for, revenge?" Calvin inquired.

"It's nothing so trivial as revenge. Merely, a way to find my path in life, with my fractured soul." the figure explained, then ran towards Calvin. Calvin jumped back, and fired at the figure. Each shot was blocked by the katana. Calvin ducked as the figure sliced the katana above his head. Thinking quickly, Calvin threw a punch to the figure's exposed gut. Making contact, the figure stopped, and jumped back.  
"Good, now we can fight as warriors." the figure said, and twirled the sword around until it disappeared. "Hand to hand, it is the basis of all combat, only a fool trusts his life to a weapon." The figure said, getting into a fighting stance. Calvin quickly called Washu on his transmitter.

"Sekishoku, I need to learn unarmed fighting, quick!" Calvin yelled.

"How do you expect me to help you with that?" Washu said.

"Just pump the info into my head, now!" Calvin said. There was a moment of stillness, then Calvin his muscles spasm, and he fell to his knees, eyes clenched shut. He slowly got up, and opened his eyes. The figure ran at Calvin, and jumped. Calvin dodged left, as the figure kicked where Calvin stood earlier. Calvin moved around, and landed a few kicks to the figure's side. The figure spun around, and caught Calvin in the chest. Calvin retaliated by kicking the figure's shin, which dropped him to one knee. He then hit the back of his neck, and the figure fell to the ground. Calvin stepped back, and waited for movement. The figure slowly got up, and looked over at Calvin. He suddenly disappeared.

"See if you can find me..." the figure said. Calvin looked around, and saw a strange shimmering light near one of the super computers. Calvin ran towards it, and threw a punch. He made contact, and the figure shimmered back into view, slightly stunned. Calvin used this to his advantage, and managed to throw the figure into another supercomputer. The figure hit, and fell to the ground again.  
"Thank you, it is clear now, my path." the figure said, getting on its feet. "Until we meet again." The figure was then enveloped in fire, and disappeared. Calvin panted, and walked over to the lockers. He opened the one Skuld hid in, and she limped out, with a serious expression on her face.

"You have no idea how lucky you are." she said.

"What do you mean?" Calvin asked.

"I recognized that suit's technology, the style of katana he used, even the stance he took when fighting. That wasn't a mortal. That was a demon." Skuld answered.


	7. Info, Masks, Desperation

_**Ch. 7 Info, Masks, and Desperation**_

--

"A demon? What would a demon want with me?" Calvin asked.

"No idea, but I would try to avoid another meeting." Skuld answered.

"Right..." Calvin said, and then paused. "Wait a second, what are you doing here anyway? Weren't you supposed to be on the boat?"

"I followed after Sasami. She left a note, saying she didn't want to sit around in case you got into trouble." Skuld said. She then grimaced slightly, and limped to a nearby chair.

"How did you injure your leg?" Calvin asked.

"It's my ankle, I sprained it when I slipped on some ice outside." Skuld answered.

"I'm surprised you haven't healed yourself yet." Calvin said. Skuld frowned slightly.

"That's the problem. I came here so the guards wouldn't notice me when I performed the spell. Thing is, I didn't expect a demon to pop up after sensing me." Skuld answered.

"So what are you going to do?" Calvin asked.

"Well, I can't use magic, that's for sure. I'll just have to wait for it to heal naturally. I just hope no guards come in here, I'm a sitting target." Skuld said. At that moment, Calvin's transmitter started to beep.

"Dokuja, the stealth camo is complete, I'm sending it your way now." Washu said. The air crackled in front of Calvin, as a box formed in a mist of sparks, and descended onto the floor.

"What if I said you could move around without being spotted?" Calvin said, picking up the box. He handed it to Skuld. She opened the box, and pulled out a small silver disc with a pin fastener.

"Is this what I think it is?" Skuld asked.

"Yep, one stealth camo. You need it more than I do." Calvin answered. She put it on, and pressed the small button on the front. She faded away from Calvin's sight.

"Wow, this is pretty impressive, on par with a lot of my more complicated works." Skuld said.

"So what will you do now?" Calvin asked. He heard Skuld shuffle to one of the (undamaged) computers, followed by the keyboard clacking.

"Well, I guess this room is where they have all the data for Steel Cog and the rest of the base, so I'll stay here and gather info. If you need any supplies, go ahead and call, I'll try and find a location to hide it in for you." Skuld said. At that moment, Calvin's transmitter started beeping. He answered it, and heard strange music in the background.

"Calvin, it's Sasami. I'm in building two, but I can't find a good place to meet at." Calvin heard her say.

"Where in building two are you at?" Calvin asked.

"Well, it's a small office room, at...damn!" Sasami said. Calvin heard a yell in the background.

"What? What's Wrong?!" Calvin said urgently.

"They spotted me! Talk later, bye." Sasami said quickly, then the transmitter cut off.

"Damn it!" Calvin yelled, and slammed his fist on a nearby desk.

"Is Sasami okay?" he heard Skuld ask.

"I don't know, she said she was in some office in this building. She didn't say much else, but I heard strange music in the background." Calvin said.

"I remember hearing some odd music at B one, you should look there first." Skuld said. Calvin nodded, and ran off.

--

A few minutes later...

--

Calvin walked out of the elevator onto basement floor one, and sure enough, heard the strange music. It had a mysterious, mystical sound to it, almost hypnotic. Calvin slowly walked forward toward the office door. It slid open, and Calvin saw two guards patrolling. H then noticed that one of the guards was acting slightly nervous. He slowly pulled out the M9 tranquilizer, and shot a round at the other guard. The guard slumped, and the nervous one looked over quickly. The guard then walked briskly toward the door Calvin was by. Calvin ran and stood behind a nearby pillar, and watched the guard come out, look around, and walk into a bathroom...the women's bathroom. Calvin smirked and followed. When he entered, the guard removed the balaclava, freeing the long blue hair underneath.

"Are you ok, Sasami?" Calvin asked. Sasami looked over at Calvin and smirked.

"A little shaken up, but I'm fine." she said. She took off the guard jacket, revealing a black tank-top underneath. "Turns out the guard thought I was dozing off of all things. Still scared me, though."

"Well, it's good to see you're ok. Do you have the PAL card?" Sasami smirked, and reached into the tank top, and pulled out a yellow card.

"It's great having more hiding spots than men." Sasami said. Calvin made a slight cough, and grabbed the card. "I heard one of the guards mention that Steel Cog was in a building north of here, and that there is a passage in a back room."

"Well, lets head out." Calvin said. They exited the bathroom, and followed a long hallway. Sasami suddenly stopped.

"Do you hear that?" Sasami asked. Calvin stopped, and listened.

"The music stopped playing." Calvin answered. With the music no longer playing, the floor had an unnerving silence to it. Sasami took a few steps forward, and suddenly grunted in pain. Grabbing the sides of her head, she fell onto her knees. "Sasami, what's wrong!" Calvin yelled.

After a few seconds, she slowly took her hands off the side, and shakily stood up.

"I'm...fine..." she said in an odd calm. She stumbled forward, nearing the door, and stopped again. "The commander is waiting to see you..." she said, once again in the odd calm. Calvin raised an eyebrow and followed her into the room. It was a highly decorated and ornate office, with expensive looking furniture and decorations scattered around. Sasami took a few more steps forward, and stopped. "Calvin...do you...like me?" she said.

"What?" Calvin said, perplexed.

"Do you...like me?" she said again. She turned around, quickly moved forward and hugged Calvin. "Hold me, Calvin!" she said. Calvin stood there, confused. She suddenly took a quick step back, pulled out the Desert Eagle, and aimed it at Calvin. Her eyes were empty looking. A shadowy figure floated behind her, moving his hands like a puppeteer. "What, you don't like girls?" she said, but her voice was overlapped with a male's. She started to fire at Calvin, missing, but getting closer with every shot. Calvin pulled out the M9 and quickly shot a tranq dart into her neck. She dropped, and the shadowy figure clarified. It was a figure in dark clothing, with a gas mask on. He cackled loudly, and crossed his arms.

"You have quick reflexes, but those will not help you here. I am Insane Insect, the most powerful practitioner of Psycho kinetics in all of Yume!" the figure, now known as Insect, said, and disappeared. "I can read your every thought, there is no way you can defeat me!" Calvin's transmitter started to beep, and it answered automatically.

"Dokuja, listen very carefully, you'll need to rely on instinct. Don't think out your actions, or he will avoid your attack." Washu said, before the transmitter cut off. Calvin holstered the M9 and pulled out his SOCOM, and stood still, feeling for any changes in his surroundings. He immediately moved and aimed at the southwest corner of the room and fired three shots. Insect appeared and was hit in the arm and leg. He growled angrily, moved his arms upward, and disappeared. Multiple random objects in the room rose, and flew at Calvin. Calvin dropped to the floor, and rolled over to the desk. He got on his knees, and fired at the east side of the room. Again, he hit Insect, once in the other leg, and once in the chest. He coughed, and started to laugh.

"It seems I've underestimated you, but I know your weak-point." Insect said, and then pointed at Sasami. "SASAMI! Stand right where Dokuja can see you, and blow your brains out!" Sasami slowly raised the Desert Eagle to her temple, but started to shake, as if she was resisting. Calvin pulled out the M9 with his left hand, fired a tranq round into her right arm, and emptied the SOCOM clip into Insect's chest. He fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Calvin ran over to Sasami, and pulled out the dart. She was groggy, and Calvin tapped her cheek multiple times. She groaned, and opened her eyes. Looking up at Calvin, she smiled.

"Thank you." she said quietly. She stood up, somewhat unsteady, and slowly walked over to a chair, and promptly sat down. A painful groan came from the unmoving body of Insect. Sasami looked over at him and frowned. Calvin walked up to him and kneeled by his side.

"You...you acted on instinct...you trust yourself that much?" Insect asked slowly.

"When it comes to protecting those I care about." Calvin answered.

"I see... I wasn't able to see the future." Insect responded.

"A strong man makes his own future, and lives in the moment." Calvin said.

"Maybe so...but...I will read yours..." Insect said, then coughed harshly. "To get to the underground base that stores Steel Cog, you need to go through a hidden door, behind that book case." Insect raised his hand slightly, and the large bookcase moved over, revealing a small opening. "This is the most direct route...you'll pass by two large radio towers, and use the walkways."

"Why are you helping me?" Calvin asked.

"Over the years, I've seen the pasts, presents, and futures of countless men and women..." Insect said, then coughed violently. Calvin carefully took off the gas mask that covered Insects face. Underneath was a horribly scarred and mutilated face. Sasami gasped, and looked away. "And every time, I found the same thing. The aggressive desire to kill, and the selfish desire to breed. It was enough to make me sick. But you...you are different. You have been thrown into a world and position you are not used to. You are confused, surprised that you are able to accomplish the things you have done. Yet through all of it, you've shown honor, and a need to help the less fortunate. I've seen true evil, yet seeing you...calms my soul. I almost wonder what might have been, if I had lived differently." Insect looked over at Sasami. "I peered into her mind as well. I saw you...you have a large place in her heart, growing larger at every moment. I know not of your future together, except that there will be hardships. I...I have one last request...put my mask back on."

"Okay" Calvin said. He slipped the gas mask over Insect's head, and secured the straps.

"Without it, other people's thoughts force their way into my head. I want to be alone, in my own world when I die..." Insect said. Calvin stood up, and helped Sasami out of the chair, and they slowly walked over to the small door. "It's peculiar...that was the first time I've used my power to help someone...it feels...nostalgic..." The two continued on, and found themselves in a small cave. Sasami shuddered.

"Is something wrong?" Calvin asked.

"What happened back there, I have this strange feeling of Deja Vu, like I've lived through it before." Sasami said. Calvin nodded.

"The whole time I've been in this world, I've felt it. I don't know why, though. Can you walk fine?" Calvin said, then asked.

"I'm better." Sasami said. They continued on through the cave slowly. Sasami stuck close to Calvin, and at some point in time grabbed onto his hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. Calvin blushed slightly, but didn't say anything. They eventually found a door, leading to a room and a large hall, with the radio tower at the other end. Calvin could see a walkway on the tower, about twenty feet off the ground. After walking a few steps forward, Sasami stopped.

"What is it?" Calvin asked.

"Something's not right." Sasami said. Calvin looked at her, and his eyes went wide. A red dot was on her forehead, and slowly moved down. Calvin pointed at it, and Sasami looked. The dot moved down, and stopped at her knee. Suddenly, there was a bang in the distance, followed by a loud, wet, crunching sound. Sasami screamed in pain as blood shot out of her knee, and collapsed on the floor, her arms holding her up. She pulled the Desert Eagle from her holster, when two more shots were fired, hitting her elbows. The Desert Eagle skidded near the door. Calvin tensed up, and jumped right. A shot hit the ground where he was standing a moment earlier. Calvin hid behind a wall, pulled out his SOCOM, and fired random shots in the direction of the sniper. Sasami groaned.

"Sasami!" Calvin yelled. He wanted to run out and drag her to where he was hiding. Sasami sensed this, and shook her head.

"No, Calvin! The sniper is using me as bait, he's waiting for you!" Sasami yelled.

"But..." Calvin started.

"Go back...I saw a rifle you could use...back at the office complex...I'll be fine, trust me..." Sasami said. Calvin stared at her for a moment, then nodded. He ran to the door, and ran through. His foot caught the Desert Eagle, and it skidded into the cave. He quickly picked it up, and holstered it. He ran back into the building, and headed to the complex. Luckily, there were no guards. Just like Sasami said, there was a rifle lying on a table, with a box of tranquilizer darts next to it. Calvin opened his subspace ring, and dumped all of his weapons into it. He then strapped the rifle on his back, and grabbed the box of ammo. A few minutes later, he was back in the hall. Sasami was gone, but there were bloodstains on the floor. Calvin hid behind a wall, and loaded the rifle.

"Tranq rounds we'll have to do." Calvin said. He got on his stomach, and peaked around the wall. He set up the rifle, and aimed at the tower. On the walkway, he saw a shadowy form with long hair. He carefully aimed, and fired. The form visibly moved, and ran to a part of the walkway, where Calvin could not see the sniper. He watched the cover, until he saw a form move out slowly. He fired at the form, and heard a yell. "I got him..." Calvin said slowly. He opened his subspace ring, and stored the rifle. He removed the SOCOM and reholstered it. There was no sense in taking out the Desert Eagle, for it did not have a suppressor. Calvin ran down the hall, toward the tower. He stopped when he reached it. He slowly headed to a staircase leading up to the platform, when he heard three thumps behind him. He turned around and saw three ropes dangling behind him.

He then heard a loud zip sound, as three guards descended on the ropes. They quickly pulled out their FAMAS assault rifles and aimed at Calvin. They moved slowly at Calvin, before one ran forward. Calvin grabbed the barrel of the FAMAS and twisted it away. At the same time, the second guard rushed forward. Calvin spun around, and hooked the barrel of that guard's FAMAS under his knee. The third guard started to move forward, but Calvin quickly pulled out his SOCOM with his free hand and aimed it at the guard's head. The moment seemed like ages to Calvin, until something caught his eye. He slowly looked down, and saw a red dot on his chest. He looked back up, and saw an attractive woman holding a large sniper rifle, aimed right at him.

"You know, itz hard to mizz ven you are dis close." The woman said, in a thick eastern European accent. She slowly walked forward, as Calvin let go of the guard's guns, and raised his arms. "Drop ze gun, kick it over here." she said. He slowly lowered the SOCOM to the ground, and kicked it over to her. She kicked it back to one of the guards, who kicked it down the hall. The woman slowly walked up to Calvin.

"A female sniper, huh." Calvin said, slightly surprised.

"Did you not know, most of ze assassins on Earth and Yume are vimen?" She moved closer to Calvin, her face inches from his, and looked into his eyes. "I am Rifle Coyote, and I alvayz kill vat I aim at. You… are my special prey. But, my employer haz ozzer ideaz. Ve vill fight again." Coyote started to walk away, and paused. "Take him to Jaguar, ve can find out who zent him, vat his business iz here." She said. The guards lowered their weapons, and one walked behind Calvin. He then felt something hit him extremely hard in the back of the head. He turned around, and glared at the guard behind him, who was lowering the butt of his FAMAS. Angry, Calvin started to walk to the guard. He sure as hell wasn't going peacefully. The guard was visibly stunned, and started to back away slowly. Calvin raised his fist, and his vision darkened. He groaned, and felt himself hit the ground. He barely heard the guard order the other two before he blacked out.


	8. Contact, Pain, Chosen Life

_Never again will I be dishonored  
And never again will I be reminded  
Of living within the world of the jaded  
They kill inspiration  
It's my obligation  
To never again, allow this to happen  
Where do I begin?  
The choices are endless  
Denying the sin  
My art, my redemption  
I carry the torch of my fathers before me_

_The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away  
There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice  
To change myself, I'd rather die  
Though they will not understand  
I won't make the greatest sacrifice  
You can't predict where the outcome lies  
You'll never take me alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive_

_Change again, cannot be considered  
I rage again, dispelling my anger  
Where do I begin?  
The choices are endless  
My art, my redemption, my only salvation  
I carry the gift that I have been blessed with  
My soul is adrift in oceans of madness  
Repairing the rift that you have created  
I am not alone, brothers, give me your arms now_

_The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away  
There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice  
To change myself, I'd rather die  
Though they will not understand  
I won't make the greatest sacrifice  
You can't predict where the outcome lies  
You'll never take me alive_

_I'm no slave  
Are you feeling brave?  
Or have you gone out of your mind?  
No more games  
It won't feel the same  
If I hold my anger inside  
There's no meaning  
My soul is bleeding  
I've had enough of your kind  
One suggestion, use your discretion  
Before you label me blind_

_The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away  
There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice  
To change myself, I'd rather die  
Though they will not understand  
I won't make the greatest sacrifice  
You can't predict where the outcome lies  
You'll never take me alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive  
I'm alive_

_I'm Alive - Disturbed (You can listen to this song and others on the playlist I created: playlist dot com /user/23279239 )_

--

_**Ch. 8 Contact, Pain, and a Chosen Life**_

--

"...Dokuja, can you hear me? Dokuja? Dokuja! DOKUJA!" Washu yelled into the headset, but received no response. Her connection to Calvin had just died, and was trying to reestablish itself. She growled and punched through her holotop. Nearby were the bodies of Calvin and Sasami. Both were still breathing, though Sasami's heart rate had increased. Earlier, Washu had given her a few painkillers, in hopes of the effects crossing over. Since then her heart rate was slowly dropping to normal, but it was still fast. Calvin's heart rate was normal, though a small amount of blood trickled from his mouth. Washu walked over, set Calvin's health monitors on high alert, and wiped the blood from his mouth. She walked back to her holotop, and punched in a few keys. A call was sent out to all transmitters, and three view screens appeared.

"Is something wrong, Sekishoku?" Skuld asked.

"Yes, Sasami has been recaptured." Washu said. Skuld and Lilith frowned, while Combo sighed. "That's only half of it, I've lost contact with Calvin. I assume he's been knocked out, and captured as well." There was an uneasy silence that followed.

"What can we do?" Skuld asked.

"Well, since you are already in the base, Fremtid, I want you to look for both of them." Washu answered. Skuld nodded. "Anam, I want you to prepare for battle, you may have to enter the base if this takes too long."

"Gotchya. Anything specific you want me to do?" Lilith asked.

"Help Fremtid find Calvin and Sasami, and make sure those Lunarium bastards are nothing but bloody smears on the walls." Washu said.

"I almost wish you would send me in now" Lilith responded with a grin.

"Shiitake, have you gotten any more info from you field contact?" Washu asked.

"The Major? No, and it's odd, he'll usually call in to check up every so often. I'll call him up now." Combo said. After a few moments, a blond man in sunglasses appeared.

"This is Major. What's the situation?" the man said.

"Major, its Combo. Dokuja's been captured, and were still trying to figure out what to do. Is there any wisdom you can give us?" Combo said.

"Hm. Well, considering what you told me about Dokuja, he's become a real thorn in the Lunarium's side. They aren't used to this, so they might torture him for information. Contact him when he regains consciousness, and tell him to hang in there." Major said, and his signal was cut off.

"That's odd, the Major never ends a call abruptly." Combo said.

"I find odder that he knew Dokuja was unconscious. Something isn't right about the Major, I want you to investigate, Combo." Washu said.

"It does seem strange, I'm on it." Combo replied.

"Sekishoku, could you do something for me?" Skuld asked.

"Sure, what do you need?" Washu said.

--

Nekomi, Japan, a few minutes later...

--

"Anudder." slurred a tall, tan, platinum blond woman with purple-blue markings on her face. She held out a glass towards another tall woman, with green hair and eyes, purple batwings on her back, and a smaller pair on her head.

"You need to stop, Urd. Getting another hangover won't bring them back faster." the woman said.

"DAMN IT, MORRIGAN. POUR ME ANUDDER DRINK!" yelled Urd. Morrigan sighed, picked up a sake bottle, and filled the glass. Urd quickly drained it, and slammed it on the table. Morrigan looked over at the door, where another woman, who had light brown hair and blue markings, entered.

"Any changes, Belldandy?" Morrigan asked. Belldandy shook her head, and sat down at the table. Morrigan sighed. "Are you sure there isn't anything we can do?"

"I'm quite sure. The only thing we can do is wait, and hope for the best." Belldandy said.

"But that's all we have been doing! I'M SICK OF IT!" Urd yelled. Suddenly, there was a knock at the temple door.

"I'll get it." Belldandy said, the usual cheerfulness gone from her voice. She walked through the temple halls to the door. When she opened it, she saw a strange woman, with light greenish blue hair, and gold colored cat eyes. "Can I help you?" Belldandy asked. The woman looked down at a piece of paper she held, and looked back up.

"You're Belldandy, right?" the woman asked. Belldandy nodded. "My name is Ryoko. What I say next may seem strange, but I know where your sister is."

--

Washu's lab, a few minutes later...

--

"So let me get this straight, Lilith and Skuld are stuck in Yume, with Tsunami's avatar and a mortal?" Morrigan asked.

"Strange, yes, but true." Washu said. She sat in front of her holotop, with Urd, Belldandy, and Morrigan standing behind her.

"This is bad, very bad." Urd said, who had sobered up on the trip over.

"Your sister's are fine. It's Sasami and Calvin I'm worried about. I'm not sure how much stress they can take." Washu said. She quickly typed on her holotop, and three headsets appeared, followed by the transmitter call beep. "I told them that I would send out a call as soon as you got here. They've been wanting to talk to you. Also, please refer to them by their code names, just in case. Skuld goes by Fremtid, and Lilith by Anam." Two view screens then appeared.

"BELL! URD! It's so good to see you!" Skuld said.

"Mori, how are things holding up?" Lilith asked.

"Just fine. Are you two okay?" Morrigan asked.

"I'm fine. Fremtid however..." Lilith started to say.

"What! What's wrong!" Belldandy said, extremely worried.

"I'm fine, my leg hurts, though." Skuld said.

"Can you heal yourself?" Urd asked.

"I tried, but I was sensed by a strange demon." Skuld said.

"Strange how?" Morrigan asked.

"He had a lot of tech, mainly an exo-powersuit, and what looked like a diamond edged Katana."

"That is a little odd." Urd said.

"But he had a fistfight with Dokuja, and lost." Lilith said. Washu turned to look at Belldandy, Urd, and Morrigan, and mouthed Calvin's name. They nodded.

"Alright, that's full out bizarre." Morrigan said.

"So what is going on over there?" Belldandy asked.

"Too much to talk about now, but I will tell you later." Skuld said. At that moment, a light appeared on Washu's holotop, and started to blink. Washu looked over at Calvin's body, and a green light on one of the health monitors was getting brighter.

"Looks like Calvin is regaining consciousness..." Washu said

--

Back in Yume...

--

Calvin could barely open his eyes. His head hurt, and he felt like he couldn't move. A bright light obscured his vision, and only increased his headache. He slowly looked around, to take in his surrounds. He saw three shadowy figures, and he heard talking, but couldn't make it out. Looking down, he saw that he was strapped onto a table suspended vertically.

"Boss, it looks like he's awake." said a voice, Calvin recognized it as Jaguar.

"Hm, he still doesn't look like much of a threat, Jaguar. It's hard to believe he gave you trouble." said a voice Calvin did not recognize.

"You forget that it was that ninja that took my hand, sir." Jaguar responded.

"Regardless, we must focus on the matter at hand." the voice said. One of the shadowy figures moved closer to Calvin, revealing to be a young blond man in a trench coat.

"I assume you do not know who I am. My name is Ekitai, and I am Balthazar's chief warlord. It was a bad decision to come here, and you will regret it." the man, now known as Ekitai said. A series of beeps sounded, and he reached into his coat, pulling out a cell phone. "Yes? What? Foolish bastards, willing to risk innocent lives. I'll head over now, Vulture." He shut off his cell phone, and looked over at Jaguar. "Emerald Light decided to die. We'll launch the first nuke in a few hours."

"Ignorant foolz, not zubmitting peacefully!" said a voice Calvin recognized as Jackal. He looked to his far left and saw her leaning on a wall next to a door.

"No matter, they decided their fate. I leave you in charge here, Jaguar." Ekitai said. Jaguar nodded, and Ekitai quickly left the room. Jackal immediately walked up to Calvin.

"The girl iz ztill alive. Don't die here, handzome, I vant to kill you myzelf." she whispered into his ear while trailing a finger across his chest. She then walked towards the door.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay? It's free entertainment." Jaguar said.

"I'm not interested in torture." she said, as she walked out the door.

"Hm, suit yourself." Jaguar said. He looked over at Calvin. "Heh, they say once she has a mark, she obsesses over them, to the point where she may even fall in love with them. But she stays loyal to her superior, and eventually kills them. Well, enough idle chat, let's get this show on the road."

"Where's my stuff?" Calvin asked.

"On a counter behind you, but you won't be needing it. Now, I found a PAL card in your pocket. Where are the other two?" Jaguar answered, then asked.

"Other two? I only know of the one." Calvin answered.

"Hm, maybe you passed them on to one of your contacts. No matter, Booker said there was a trick to use the cards, I doubt you would have figured it out. Now that that is out of the way, let's get the fun started." Jaguar replied, and walked over to a machine. He slowly pressed a few buttons, and Calvin heard a soft whir getting louder. "I'm going to run an electric current through your body. After which you can submit. If you don't, well, I'll just run a higher current through your body. Also, if you do submit, I'll make sure your woman dies, painfully. Have fun..."

--

10 minutes later...

--

Calvin panted, his limbs felt as though they were on fire.

"You're pretty strong. Well, I think I'll take a break. See you in an hour." Jaguar said. He walked out, and a single guard walked in. The guard unstrapped Calvin, and dragged him to a nearby cell. He threw Calvin in, locked the door, and started to randomly pace around outside of the cell. Calvin slowly picked himself up off the floor, and looked around. There was a single bed in one corner, and the cell was made up mostly of bulletproof glass. Calvin sniffed, and immediately covered his mouth and nose. Something in the cell smelled rotten. He turned around, and saw the body of Ronald Anders heaped into the far corner. There were cuts in his wrists, but there were no bloodstains around. Calvin went and sat down on the bed, and heard the trill sound of his transmitter.

"Dokuja, are you alright?" Washu said.

"Sort of." he answered.

"Well, it's good to hear from you. We lost contact with you, and I've been trying to reach you once I was reconnected. It was quite frightening earlier, seeing your body violently shake. Have you heard anything about Sasami?" Washu said.

"She's alive. That bastard Jaguar threatened to kill her if I told him to stop." Calvin said.

"You did a brave thing, Dokuja. What exactly did they do to you?" Washu asked.

"Electrocution, felt like forever." Calvin answered.

"He lived through that? He certainly has my respect." said a female voice.

"Who was that?" Calvin asked.

"Anam's sister. Fremtid asked me to contact her along with her own sisters."

"I see." Calvin said, and then groaned in pain. "Is there anything you can do about this pain?"

"Give me a second." Washu said. Calvin waited, and felt his whole body tingle, loosening his muscles and increasing blood flow.

"Wow, what did you do?" he asked.

"I had a few machines stimulate your nervous system, I'm glad it carried over. How is it?" Washu asked.

"Most of the pain is gone." Calvin replied

"Good. Anything else?" Washu asked.

"Well, the corpse of Ronald Anders is lying in a corner of the cell I'm in."

"I wonder why they moved him there." Washu said.

"Strange thing is, he smells like he's rotting. Almost like he's been in here for awhile now." Calvin said.

"But he died a few hours ago, right? Decomposition shouldn't be at that stage yet." Washu replied.

"Yeah, it looks like his blood is drained, too." Calvin said.

"Maybe they wanted to slow decomposition." Washu said.

"It just seems too strange. Is there anything I can do to get out of here?" Calvin asked.

"Call up Fremtid, she's looking for you right now." Washu said.

"Got it. I'll try to keep you updated." Calvin said. He then called up Skuld. "Fremtid, where are you?"

"Dokuja? God it's good to hear you. I'm currently in building one. Where are you at?" Skuld said, then asked.

"I don't know, I'm in a cell, and there's a torture room nearby." Calvin answered.

"Torture room? I know where you are, I'll be there in a few minutes." Skuld replied, and ended the transmission. Calvin heard pounding on the cell door, and looked up.

"Hey, stop talking to yourself, it's pissing me off!" the guard said. Calvin sighed. He laid down on the bed, and waited. He heard the guard groan suddenly. "Ooof, that's not good. Damn it!" he yelled, and ran off. Calvin watched him through the glass as he ran straight to a bathroom. He then heard a knock at the cell door.

"Hey, get over here, I got some stuff for you." he heard Skuld say. He went to the door and looked out the small window. Skuld slowly faded into sight.

"Great. Is there anyway you can get me out of here?" Calvin asked.

"I couldn't find a key, I think that guard had the only one. But I do have some stuff for you." Skuld answered, and proceeded to pass some food through the small window. "I think this might help you escape, though." she said, and handed Calvin a bottle of ketchup.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" he asked.

"I'm sure you can figure it out. Anyway, I'm going back to the computer room, I've found some interesting information on Steel Cog, it might help you destroy it." Skuld said, and disappeared. He looked back down at the bottle of ketchup.

"What did she..." Calvin started. He then grinned, broke the ketchup bottle on the ground, and pressed a hand in the thick liquid. He pressed his hand on the glass, and had it slide down. He then lied face down over the pile of ketchup and waited. He heard the bathroom door open, and footsteps.

"What the hell?" the guard said. The cell door opened, and the guard ran up to Calvin. Calvin quickly rolled onto his back, and kicked both feet into the guard's stomach. The guard doubled over and collapsed on the ground. Calvin got up, and kicked the guard once more in the head. Successfully knocking him out, he took the guard's walkie-talkie and smashed it, then exited the cell. After collecting his things from the torture room, he moved on, and found himself on Basement Floor One of Building A once again.

--

30 minutes later...

--

Calvin exited the office where he fought Insect, and entered the cave system leading to the radio tower. Suddenly, Calvin's transmitter started beeping.

"Dokuja! Trust me and do what I say. Take the ammo clip out of your SOCOM and throw it as far away from you as possible!" a garbled voice said, Calvin recognized it, it as Ippan-Oni.

"Why, what's wrong?" Calvin asked.

"There isn't much time, just do it!" Ippan-Oni. Calvin immediately unholstered the SOCOM and removed the magazine. Instead of bullets, the clip was packed with a reddish-orange clay-like substance, with a device jammed into the clay. A red light on the device was blinking. Calvin threw it down the cave. A few seconds later, there was an explosion, with the force equivalent to that of a standard grenade.

"I guess I owe you." Calvin said, but the transmission had already been ended. Calvin continued onward, and entered the large hall before the tower. The bloodstains from Sasami were still on the ground. Calvin stared at it for a moment, then moved on. "I'll make sure they pay for hurting you, Sasami." he said to himself quietly. Entering the tower, Calvin was surprised at what he saw. On top of a crate was a coiled rope and a STINGER missile launcher. Stuck to the rope was a note. Calvin ripped it off and read it.

"_You'll be needing this, Calvin. And for the record, as long as you make it back to Earth alive, you don't owe me jack.  
- Your friend and fan, Ippan-Oni_

Calvin smirked, and stored the STINGER and rope in subspace. He turned the corner, and walked through a small entryway into the main part of the tower. There was a large elevator, and a stairway that went around the elevator shaft. Calvin took a step forward, and alarms immediately went off. He looked around, and saw a trip laser on the ground.

"Shit, isn't that convenient?" Calvin said, and started running up the stairs. He passed a door that led to a pathway connecting this tower to the other one, but it was frozen shut. After getting a few floors up, he started hearing guards gaining on him. Thinking quickly, he pulled a few grenades out of subspace storage. While running up the stairs, he pulled the pin on one grenade and dropped it behind him. He did this every two minutes before he finally ran out of grenades. Luckily, he was at the top of the tower. He looked around for an exit, and saw a ladder leading upwards. Without stalling, he ran to the ladder and climbed up. Once he reached the top, he found himself in a small room with a door nearby. He ran through the door, and was immediately met with a cold gust of wind. Suddenly, he heard a loud roaring sound. Looking around, he saw a large helicopter hovering nearby. Two missiles were fired, and passed over Calvin's head. He turned around, and saw a small bridge, which connected the tower to an adjacent tower, destroyed by the missiles. Calvin ran and hid behind a large vent to avoid any more possible fire the helicopter could deliver. At that moment, his transmitter started beeping.

"Dokuja, it's Sekishoku. I know what happened, and I think I know how you can get to the other tower. According to my readouts, you picked up a rope earlier, right?" Washu said.

"Yeah, how can that help me?" Calvin asked.

"Tie one end to yourself, and the other to a guardrail. You'll need to rappel down to the lower path." Sekishoku said.

"What! That's insane, that helicopter will take me out before I can do anything!" Calvin said.

"Just do it as quickly as you can. I'm transplanting the information on rappelling into your memory." Sekishoku said. A few seconds later, Calvin's squeezed his eyes shut, and his muscles spasmed. When the spasms ended, Calvin opened the subspace storage and took out the rope.

He tied one end to his waist, and ran to a nearby guardrail. He quickly tied the other end to the rail, and jumped over the side. As fast as he could, Calvin kicked off the wall and swung downwards. After a few wall kicks, he made it to the connecting path. He immediately cut the rope, and ran to the other tower. Once inside, he leaned against a wall and panted. Once he calmed down, he looked around. Like the other tower, there was a stairway leading up and down, and an Elevator in the middle. Calvin tried to call up the elevator, but was met with a buzzing sound and a red light. Sighing, Calvin started to walk down the stairs. Only a few steps down, and Calvin started to get angry. The rest of the stairs were destroyed. Calvin walked back up, and was surprised to see Skuld exiting the elevator.

"Skuld, what are you doing here?" Calvin asked.

"Well, I managed to replicate the stealth camouflage Sekishoku sent you. Here." Skuld said. She handed him a small device. Calvin pinned it onto his chest, and pressed the activation button. The device glowed for a second, and then popped in a shower of sparks. Calvin looked back at Skuld.

"Wow, I feel invisible already." Calvin said sarcastically.

"What, that doesn't make sense, it was working when I left the computer room." Skuld said, frowning.

"Don't worry, I haven't really needed camouflage anyway. By the way, I tried to use the elevator earlier, but it wasn't working. How'd you get it to work?" Calvin asked.

"It was working fine when I used it. Are you sure there was something wrong?" Skuld asked. Calvin hit the button to open the doors, and the elevator buzzed again.

"See?" Calvin said.

"Hm, maybe it's just this button. I'll try to fix it, but it's going to take a while. Any idea what you'll do to wait?" Skuld said, then asked. The low rumble of the helicopter could be heard.

"I think I'll go kill an annoying mosquito." Calvin said.

--

_A.N.: I'd like to thank supergirlcomix for making fan art for my fic, currently she's put together three drawings:_

_Group Shot: fanart-central dot net /pic-672836.html_

_Transmitter Call: fanart-central dot net /pic-673343.html_

_And a little teaser on how Lilith feels about Todd: fanart-central dot net /pic-677173.html_


	9. Stung, Blindfire, Frost

_Another mission  
The powers have called me away  
Another time  
To carry the colors again  
My motivation  
An oath I've sworn to defend  
To win the honor  
Of coming back home again  
No explanation  
Will matter after we begin  
Another dark destroyer that's buried within  
My true vocation  
And know my unfortunate friend  
You will discover  
A war you're unable to win_

I'll have you know  
That I've become...

Indestructible  
Determination that is incorruptible  
From the other side  
A terror to behold  
Annihilation will be unavoidable  
Every broken enemy will know  
That their opponent had to be invincible  
Take a last look around while you're alive  
I'm an indestructible master of war

Another reason  
Another cause for me to fight  
_Another fuse uncovered  
Now, for me to light  
My dedication  
To all that I've sworn to protect  
I carry out my orders  
With not a regret  
A declaration  
Embedded deep under my skin  
A permanent reminder  
Of how we began  
No hesitation  
When I am commanding the strike  
You need to know  
That you're in for the fight of your life_

You will be shown  
How I've become...

Indestructible  
Determination that is incorruptible  
From the other side  
A terror to behold  
Annihilation will be unavoidable  
Every broken enemy will know  
That their opponent had to be invincible  
Take a last look around while you're alive  
I'm an indestructible master of war

I'm...

Indestructible  
_Determination that is incorruptible  
From the other side  
A terror to behold  
Annihilation will be unavoidable  
Every broken enemy will know  
That their opponent had to be invincible  
Take a last look around while you're alive  
I am indestructible (indestructible)_

Indestructible  
Determination that is incorruptible  
From the other side  
A terror to behold  
Annihilation will be unavoidable  
Every broken enemy will know  
That their opponent had to be invincible  
Take a last look around while you're alive  
I'm an indestructible master of war

Indestructible – Disturbed

--

_**Ch. 9 Get Stung, Blindfire, and Frost**_

Calvin went up the staircase, and after what felt like forever, made it to the top. The roar of the helicopters rotary blades were much louder here. Calvin pulled the STINGER launcher from the subspace storage, and took a slow breath to prepare himself. He looked around for the exit, and once he found the door, he ran outside.

"So the snake has finally come out of hiding? Good, I'll enjoy killing you!" he heard Ekitai yell over the helicopter's loudspeaker. Calvin looked around and saw the helicopter hovering about fifty yards from the edge of the tower. It started to fire its machine guns, and Calvin ran behind a nearby raised platform for cover. He readied the STINGER, and once the helicopter stopped firing, he poked his head up and looked. Still hovering where it was before, Calvin aimed the STINGER. It head a small LCD view screen that showed a small green box moving around. It suddenly stopped over the image of the helicopter, and a loud steady beep sounded. Calvin fired, and watched the missile home in on the helicopter. It hit the side, and the helicopter started to wobble and smoke.

"HA! You think that hurt? THINK AGAIN!" Ekitai yelled, and fired two misses. Calvin ran from his cover, and looked around for another spot to hide. Not finding any, her turned and looked back at the helicopter. Waiting a few seconds, he jumped, and the first missile hit the ground below him, launching Calvin far into the air. Again, he quickly aimed the STINGER at the helicopter. He heard the other missile explode far behind him, just as the homing module issued the steady beep. Calvin fired, and watched the missile hit the nose of the helicopter. He then landed on his hands and knees, and picked himself up. The helicopter spun down out of sight, and was followed by a bright orange glow and loud explosion.

"Feel that burn? That's just a taste of what Hell will be like." Calvin said. His transmitter then started to beep.

"Dokuja, the elevator is working again." Skuld said.

"Great, what was wrong with it?" Calvin asked.

"That's the weird thing about it, it just moved on it's own." Skuld said.

"Huh. Well, where are you now?" Calvin asked.

"I'm headed back to computer room to look up more info on Steel Cog." Skuld answered.

"Alright, keep me updated." Calvin said, and reentered the tower. After a few minutes, he was back in front of the elevator. Oddly enough, the door was already opened. Calvin entered it and pressed the button for floor one. The doors closed, and a buzz went off. A light on the panel lit up, and flashed **OVERWEIGHT**. Calvin raised an eyebrow, but did not dwell on the issue any longer. A few moments later his transmitter went off again.

"Dokuja, I forgot to tell you something." Skuld said.

"Alright, what?" Calvin asked.

"Well, I made five stealth camo suits. The one I gave you was the most stable one, so that leaves four." Skuld said.

"This isn't grade school math, I get it. So?" Calvin said.  
"Well, I left the four back in the computer room, but they're gone now." Skuld said. Calvin suddenly felt very nervous. He slowly pulled a stun grenade off of his belt, and put his thumb in the pin. "Another thing, the elevator was acting really weird, almost if someone was intentionally holding it." Calvin pulled the pin with his thumb and held down the safety lever.

"Did you ride the elevator down?" Calvin asked.

"Yeah, why?" Skuld said.

"How much do you weigh?" Calvin asked.

"HEY! You don't ask a woman that!" Skuld yelled.

"This is important. Did the weight limit warning go off for you?" Calvin said.

"Yeah, it did. I'm about one hundred and thirty, but the elevator has a weight limit of six hundred and fifty. It would take five...people...oh shit." Skuld said.

"I knew it." Calvin sighed. He dropped the stun grenade, crouched, squeezed his eyes shut, and covered his ears.

"TOO LATE, DOKUJA! THIS IS WHERE..." he heard someone yell out, before he heard the stun grenade blow up. He quickly got up, opened his eyes, and unholstered his SOCOM. On the ground were four soldiers, the camo pins on their chests sparking. Calvin shot each in the chest, and reholstered the SOCOM.

"Crisis averted." Calvin said.

"Are you ok?" Skuld asked.

"Yeah, just a little shook up." Calvin answered. He looked closer at the four bodies, and saw that each wore the standard Lunarium gas mask, not the face masks that the other guards wore. "I think these are Lunarium foot soldiers, not the brainwashed guards."

"I wouldn't doubt it. You did kill Insect, which means the regular guard's brainwashing is wearing off, so you'll probably be seeing more of these guys. We might even get help from the normal guards once they fully come to their senses." Skuld said.

"I hope so, we do need more backup." Calvin said. He crouched down and removed one the dead Lunarium's gas mask. "Ugh, what the hell?" Calvin said. Underneath was a face barely able to be described as human. Its skin was extremely pale, and had red orbs for eyes. Calvin could only think of the term skin and bones to describe the facial structure, but there was less to it than that. It almost looked like rubber stretched over a frame. Curious, Calvin pulled out his knife and cut the cheek of the Lunarium. Underneath was still blood and muscle. "So they're at least humanoid." Calvin said. Their was a sudden hissing sound, and the corpse's face started to bubble. It suddenly dissolved into a brown substance, along with the rest of the body. Calvin looked at the other corpses and saw that the same happened to them, leaving nothing but empty clothing behind.

"What's wrong Dokuja?" Skuld asked.

"I think there is more to the Lunarium than we could have even thought possible." Calvin said. The elevator came to a stop at the bottom of the tower, and the doors opened.  
Calvin exited the elevator and the tower into a large field, and was greeted by a fierce blizzard. He took a few steps forward, then stopped. Something was strange, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He looked around, and suddenly tensed up. Barely visible from the flakes of snow falling was a laser. Calvin looked to his left, and jumped behind a nearby tree. He heard a bang, and heard the a ping of the bullet hitting the tower. Calvin took his sniper rifle out of subspace storage, and aimed towards the other side of the field. After a little searching around, he found a blurry shape, and fired. However, the blurry shape stayed still. Calvin was then blinded by the enemy's laser as it went down his scope. He groaned loudly and hid behind the tree. He heard more bangs, followed by the sound of the tree splintering. Calvin blinked a few times and carefully looked around. He saw a supply truck, and ran behind it.

"Well, it's obvious tranq rounds aren't going to work." Calvin said, and looked into the back of the truck. There were a few boxes of ammo for other weapons. Calvin climbed into the bed and started to look around. After what felt like forever, he found a box labeled **PSG1 SR Ammo**. Calvin looked at the side of his rifle and saw that it was the PSG1 model. He grabbed the box, loaded the rifle, and climbed back out. He ran behind a nearby small hill and aimed the rifle over it. The blurry figure had moved behind a tree, but was still partially visible. Calvin fired, and heard a yell. He then saw the enemy's laser dance on the hill in front of him. He ducked, and more bangs. The bullets hit the hill, and a bit of snow fell onto his hair. After the barrage, he looked back over the hill. The figure had taken cover, but was impossible to see from this angle.

Calvin looked around, and saw another small hill across and slightly closer from where the figure was. Calvin darted from his cover. Calvin's instincts flared, and he immediately stopped. A bullet whizzed in front of him. He turned to face the direction of the figure, and tensed up again. He quickly jumped back and to the right, as a bullet flew through where he was standing. Unfortunately, the force of his jump made him lose grip of his rifle. It landed two feet behind him. Calvin, wide eyed, watched as the enemy's laser moved to his chest. He closed his eyes, and took a slow breath. Using all of his strength and agility, Calvin jumped, back flipped over the rifle, and landed, his foot kicking the rifle in the air. He quickly spun around, grabbed the rifle midair, and randomly shot in the direction of the figure. Calvin stood still for a few moments, and saw the laser on his chest slowly move down. Calvin waited a few moments, put his rifle back in subspace, and carefully moved forward. He found Rifle Coyote laying in a pool of blood. He stepped closer, and she suddenly coughed.

"I've...I've been vaiting for a moment like this...vaiting zo long..." Coyote said quietly. Calvin moved closer and kneeled at her side. "You can't zave me...I'm lung shot...pleaze...just end it now...end this pain...I've vaited for zomething peaceful like this...all I know iz killing...zlowly ztalking, hunting my target..."

"So that's why you're called Coyote." Calvin said.

"I've known nothing but mizery...I once lived on earth...a young girl...behind the iron curtain...vatched az my family vas taken from me...for conzpiring against the red army...then he appeared...my zavior...Gerard..." Coyote continued.

"Gerard?" Calvin asked. Coyote coughed.

"You know him az Balthazar...he took me avay...and helped me learn to hate ze earth, and ze corruption zat breeds vithin her...I became a zniper on my own vill...hidden...vatching it all through my zcope...ze brutality and idiocy of man...but...I've shamed my family...I zold my flesh and my zpirit...in the name of revenge...I'm nothing but a dog..." Coyote continued.

"Coyotes are respected animals among Native American tribes. The Ohlone tribe of California viewed the Coyote as an ancestor, who taught them to survive, to care for one another. They call soldiers the 'Dogs of War'. It's true in a way. They are all trained to mindlessly follow orders. But you are different, solitary...wild. You're no dog, you're a coyote." Calvin said. Coyote's eyes looked off in the distance.

"Who are you? Gerard?" Coyote said in a whisper.

"Coyote, you spared Sasami's life." Calvin said.

"I...don't kill for pleazure...she vasn't my target..." Coyote said.

"Rest...you'll die as the noble Coyote you are." Calvin said.

"I...I underztand now...I vasn't vaiting to kill...I vas vaiting to be killed...by zomeone like you...a hero..." Coyote said. Her arm pointed out.

"What is it?" Calvin said.

"My rifle...bring her here...she iz part of my zoul..." Coyote said. Calvin got up, grabbed the rifle near her feet, and slowly handed it to her. Calvin heard a strange breathing sound. He looked to his right and saw three coyotes walking up. They sat down on the opposite side if Rifle Coyote, and she looked over at them.

"Everyone iz here. Alright hero...zet me free..." Calvin unholstered his SOCOM, and took aim. He looked away, and fired. The coyotes started to howl. Calvin walked back to the truck. After a little searching, he found a blanket. He grabbed it, brought it over to Coyote, and draped it over her corpse. Then, Calvin transmitter started to beep.

"How tragic..." Skuld said quietly.

"I know, and I know for a fact that I've heard that somewhere before." Lilith said. Calvin stayed quiet.

"Are you going to be okay?" Skuld asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Calvin said.

"Alright. The underground base is just ahead of you." Skuld said.

"Understood." Calvin said. He ended the transmission, and looked around. He saw a short building nearby, and entered. He started to walk down a stairwell, and noticed he was getting warmer and warmer. Once he reached the bottom, a door opened, and he felt a wave of heat go over his body. The whole room glowed orange, and looked like a smelting plant. Calvin walked up to a ledge and peered over. There was a lower level next to a pool of molten metal. There was a door at the far end of the room. On Calvin's left was an elevator, but the controls were on the platform, which was on the lower level. Calvin looked right, and saw a narrow ledge that crossed the molten pool to another platform.

"Hm. Nope, not doing that." Calvin said quietly. He looked down again and saw a lone guard patrolling. Calvin fished around in his subspace storage and found an empty SOCOM clip. He tossed it down in front of the guard, and hid behind a wall near the elevator. After a few moments he heard the elevator rise up. He waited a few more seconds, took out his SOCOM, and lept away from the wall. He fired at the guard, who dropped on the platform. A few seconds later he dissolved into the brown substance. Calvin rode the elevator down and went through the door into a moderately sized room, with large boxes lining the walls. A large platform was in front of Calvin, it appeared to be another elevator. He walked forward, fiddled with the controls, and waited. The was a loud metallic groan, and the platform started to move. Calvin looked over the edge and saw he was on an angled track, and could barely see the bottom.

"Well, looks like I'll be here for a while." Calvin said out loud, and sighed. He leaned next to the elevator controls, and closed his eyes. "I might as well use this time to calm down." he said quietly. However, he was unable to shake the uneasy feeling that weighed him down. Calvin opened his eyes and looked around. He saw nothing but the gray walls slowly passing by. He looked up to the top of the elevator shaft, and saw four figures looking down. "God damn it." Calvin said angrily. The four figures jumped down, and Calvin heard gunfire. He looked around and saw sparks and dents getting closer to where he stood. He quickly jumped away, and pulled a stun grenade off of his belt. The four figures landed in front of him, and a few seconds later the bullet casings fell, creating an eerie rain like effect. Calvin armed the stun grenade and tossed it at their feet. He then dropped and covered his ears. 'These guy's just don't learn.' Calvin thought. He felt the concussive blast of the grenade, then stood back up. Unlike the Lunarium in the previous elevator, though, they were still standing, albeit much more unsteadily. Calvin quickly pulled out his SOCOM and unloaded it on the four. They dropped, and dissolved into the brown substance.

A few minutes later

Midway through Calvin had to change elevators, and he was now at the bottom. Looking around, he saw a lone vulture perched on a nearby box. Calvin stared at it for a few seconds, the continued to the lone door at the other end of the room. It opened slowly, and Calvin shivered. He stepped into the large room, which was extremely cold, and filled with large crates.

"Welcome stranger!" a voice said. Calvin looked up at and saw a large, tattooed native american man, sitting on a large metal crate. "This is the end of the line for you! Right my friends?" the man said. Calvin looked around and saw many vultures perched on the rafters. They started to caw loudly. "Vultures aren't scavengers like most people think. They simply return to the world what is not needed. They will even attack wounded animals."

"You were the one in the tank from earlier. Must have been a tight squeeze for a guy like you." Calvin said. The man laughed in response.

"Yes, but that was not a true battle." he responded, then jumped down in front of Calvin. Strapped to his back was an extremely large barrel like object, which was connected by a thick cable to a large gun, which he held. " I am Gatling Vulture. We were testing to see what kind of man you are. The Judgment has been decided! The vultures say you are a true warrior!" the man now known as Vulture said. There was a bright flash, and the entire room turned a dark blue color. A bird tattoo on Vulture's body flew off of him, towards Calvin.

"Am I seeing things?" Calvin said. The bird, now appearing as a small vulture, landed on Calvin's shoulder. He suddenly felt paralyzed. "What, I can't move!" Calvin yelled.  
"The vulture has put the mark of death on you." Vulture said. The vulture faded from sight, and the room returned to it's normal color. "Rejoice, Dokuja! Ours will be an epic fight!"

"Epic? This isn't epic, this is just plain killing!" Calvin said. He flexed his fingers, relieved he was able to move again.

"Well, we shall find out if there is steel in your words." Vulture said. The multiple barrels of Vulture's gun started to spin. Calvin ran for cover behind a large crate, just as Vulture started fire. He quickly opened his subspace storage and pulled out two grenades. The gun fire stopped, and he heard Vulture moving closer. Calvin pulled the pin and rolled the grenade around the corner. He then ran for cover to another large crate. He heard the grenade explode, and Vulture's yell of anger. He then heard faster footsteps. Calvin looked around the side of the crate and saw Vulture running to his location. Calvin pulled the pin of another grenade, dropped it, and ran again. He heard the explosion,and another angry yell, followed by footsteps.

"How much does it take to bring this guy down?" Calvin said. He looked around, and saw a ladder at the far end of the room. Calvin bolted, and heard Vulture's gun fire. Bullets ricocheted on the wall behind him. Stopping at the ladder, Calvin climbed and went laid prone on top of the crate. He heard Vulture run around the crate and to the other side of the room. Calvin quietly took the PSG1 sniper rifle out of subspace storage, and waited. He saw Vulture at the other end of the room move out from behind a crate. Calvin aimed, and fired a few rounds into Vulture's midsection. Vulture collapsed against a wall, and dropped his gun. Calvin put the PSG1 away, got off the crate, and walked over to Vulture.

"Just as Balthazar said, it is my existence which is not needed in this world. But my body will not remain here, my soul and flesh will be one with the vultures. That way I will return to Mother Yume who bore me. Dokuja, my spirit will be watching you!" Vulture said, then groaned. He fumbled around, and held out a card to Calvin. "Take this card, it will open that door." Vulture said, and pointed to the other end of the room.

"Why?" Calvin asked.

"You and the boss are from other worlds, ones I do not wish to know. Go and battle him, I will watch from above. However, I must tell you one thing. The man you saw die in front of you, that was not Ronald Anders. That was Distraction Squid, a member of our force. He was a master of disguise, but he could not fool the Grim Reaper." Vulture said.

"The Grim Reaper? But why go to so much trouble to impersonate Anders?" Calvin asked.

"That is all I can tell you, you must find out the rest on your own." Vulture said. Calvin started to walk towards the door. He heard a massive flutter of wings behind him. "In the normal world, there is no such thing as boundless killing. There is always an end. But you are different."

"What do you mean?" Calvin asked, and stopped.

"The road you travel has no end. Each step is over the corpses of your enemies. There will be no peace. Hear me Dokuja! My spirit will be watching you!" Vulture said. Calvin turned around and saw that only blood stains and Vulture's gun remained.


	10. Steel Behemoth, Fire, Shipwreck

_**Ch. 10 A Steel Behemoth, Fire, Shipwreck**_

Calvin exited the large freezer and entered a small room with two patrolling Lunarium guards. He quietly shot both guards with his M9, and waited a few moments before the tranquilizers kicked in. However, Calvin noticed something odd about their patrol route. It was a wide hall, but both guards practically hugged the walls when walking. Cautiously, Calvin examined the hallway floor, and saw a slight depression. He pressed his hand on it, and the floor gave away to a long shaft. Calvin looked down, but could not see the bottom. He then got up and went down the hall, staying close to the wall. He went through the next door, which led to another hallway. Calvin walked to the end, and stopped, wide-eyed. Before him was an extremely large contraption, looking like some kind of beast from a cyber apocalypse.  
"This...this is Steel Cog?" Calvin said. He looked around, and saw a nearby stairwell, with a guard patrolling above. Calvin shot the guard with the M9, waited a few moments, and ascended the stairwell. It ended on a walkway, and after a few twists and turns around Steel Cog, he found himself at the control room. He heard indistinct voices, and peeked inside.  
"The PAL codes have been entered. you're ready to launch any time sir." Jaguar said.  
"Good. We still haven't gotten a response from Emerald Light. We'll fire in one hour." Ekitai said.  
"Do you still want the target to be the center of the island?" Jaguar asked.  
"Hm, no, set it for the harbor. Balthazar will still want usable land." Ekitai said.  
"Ekitai..." Calvin said quietly. Suddenly, his transmitter went off.  
"Dokuja, it's Fremtid, I've managed to crack Booker's files on Steel Cog." Skuld said.  
"Great, what have you found?" Calvin asked.  
"Well, I found out something interesting about the PAL key Sasami gave you, you still have it, right?" Skuld asked. Calvin checked his pocket and pulled out the PAL card.  
"Yeah, I've got it, what did you find?" Calvin asked.  
"Well, you need three keys to use the PAL override." Skuld said.  
"And I only have one, how's that going to help me now?" Calvin asked.  
"But that's the thing, you already have the three keys." Skuld said.  
"What? What do you mean?" Calvin asked.  
"The card is made of a shape memory alloy!" Skuld said.  
"Alright, I'm lost." Calvin said. Skuld sighed.  
"The card will change shape depending on it's temperature. You see how there is a capitol F on the card?" Skuld said, then asked. Calvin looked at the card, and there was a small capitol F in the corner.  
"Yeah, I see it." Calvin said.  
"That means the card is at room temperature. When the letter changes to a W, that means it is cold. When the letter is a Z, that means it's hot. There are three input terminals at the control room." Skuld said. Calvin peeked around in the control room and saw three laptops with strange metal tower next to each.  
"I'm at the control room, I see the from here." Calvin said.  
"Good. The card needs to be entered from left to right, first at room temperature, then cold, then hot." Skuld said.  
"Got it." Calvin said. He then heard a loud bang, which startled him. He jumped back, and let go of the card. It plummeted to the bottom of the room. He heard laughter behind him, and Calvin quickly turned, unholstered his SOCOM, and fired. The bullet hit the glass window of the control room, right in front of Ekitai's face.  
"HA! This is bullet proof glass. I hope you die out there, Dokuja!" Ekitai said. Calvin growled loudly, and ran down the walkway to the stairwell. When he reached the bottom, his transmitter started to go off again.  
"Dokuja, this is Major. You need to get that key, all of Yume is riding on it." Major said.  
"Yeah, I'm getting it as we speak." Calvin said. He then shut off his transmitter. "How the hell did he know I lost it anyway?" Calvin asked himself. He made it onto the platform Steel Cog stood on, and looked around. After a few minutes of searching, he found the card, being dragged by a rat to a nearby hole. Calvin scared the rat away and grabbed the card. Calvin ran back up to the control room, which was empty now. Calvin went up the the first laptop, and entered the key card.  
"PAL code number one confirmed. Waiting for PAL number two." A voice came from the computer. The small metal tower next to the laptop lowered. The card ejected from the computer.  
"Got to freeze it now. But I'm not heading back to the storage room, that would take too long." Calvin said to himself as he left the control room. He looked around, and saw two pipes, a blue pipe and a red pipe, lining the ceiling. Calvin saw that they went down the wall at a nearby platform. Calvin ran to a platform above, swung over, and let go, dropping to the level below. In front of him was the two pipes. The blue one was labeled 'Liquid Nitrogen' and the red one was labeled 'Steam'. "This is too easy." Calvin said. He shot the blue pipe, and a small spray of Nitrogen sprayed out. Calvin held the card in front of the spray, and quickly took it away. There was a small W in the corner now. Calvin Jumped off the platform to the main level, and ran back to the control room. He then entered the card key into the second laptop.  
"PAL code number two confirmed. Waiting for PAL number three." The voice from the computer said. The metal tower next to the laptop lowered. Calvin repeated the process, only this time he shot the red pipe, and brought the card back to the third laptop. It confirmed it, and the final tower lowered. Suddenly, red alarms flashed, and a siren went off.  
"Detonation Code activated. Ready for launch." The voice from the computer said.  
"WHAT! I deactivated it!" Calvin yelled. He then pounded on the control panel. His transmitter started to go off.  
"Thank you, Dokuja. The detonation code is complete, nothing can stop Steel Cog now." Major said.  
"Major? What's the hell is happening?" Calvin yelled.  
"You found the key, and activated the nuclear warheads. I really do thank you. I'm sorry to get you involved with that damn shape memory alloy business. We were unable to learn Ander's code, even with Insect's psychic abilities. Then Jaguar accidentally killed him during his torture. Needless to say, we were unable to launch, and we were getting slightly worried. Without the threat of an attack, getting Emerald Light to surrender would have been nearly impossible." Major continued.  
"What?" Calvin yelled.  
"Without the codes, we had to find another way. Luckily, we noticed the boat offshore. We knew Emerald Light was up to something, so I had Distraction Squid drain Ander's of his blood, and use it to appear as him. I thought we could get some information from you, but somehow, Squid did not survive." Major continued.  
"You planned this from the start? Just so I would input the codes?" Calvin yelled.  
"You didn't think you made it this far by yourself, did you?" Major asked.  
"Anyway, the preparations are complete. Once Yume gets a glimpse of this weapon, nothing will stand in the way for Balthazar!" Major said.  
"Who the _hell_ are you?" Calvin asked.  
"I'll tell you all you want, you just have to find me." Major said.  
"And that would be?" Calvin asked.  
"Very close." Major responded.  
"Dokuja! That's not Major!" Combo said, accessing the transmission feed.  
"You're too late, Shiitake!" Major said.  
"I sailed to the nearby island that Major lived on, and found his corpse. He's been dead for about three days now." Combo said.  
"So who is it?" Calvin asked.  
"Me, Dokuja." the voice changed slightly, and the man in the transmission image removed his sunglasses and lowered his hair. It was Ekitai. "You've served your purpose. Now you'll die!" The transmission ended, and the control rooms doors slammed shut. The room started to fill with a yellow gas. Calvin quickly took out his gas mask from his subspace storage and put it on. He then called Skuld.  
"Fremtid! Are there any room controls in the computer room?" Calvin asked frantically.  
"Yes, why?" Skuld asked.  
"Open the Control room doors, now! It's filling with gas, I don't have much time." Calvin yelled.  
"Alright, I'm on it." Skuld said. A few seconds later, the doors opened. Calvin pulled the mask off and ran out. He saw Ekitai nearby, walking towards the now opened cockpit of Steel Cog. Calvin pulled out his SOCOM and fired at Ekitai. Ekitai jumped into the cockpit, and the bullet ricocheted of the platform.  
"You lost your last chance, Dokuja. Now you'll be the first victim of this weapon!" Ekitai yelled. The cockpit closed, and Steel Cog started to activate.  
At the same time, the platform Steel Cog rested on started to rise, and knocked away the maintenance catwalks. Calvin looked down and watched as the platform got closer and closer. As soon as it was within a few feet, Calvin jumped and rolled, the catwalk he stood on earlier was violently forced upwards. Calvin stared at Steel Cog, then called Skuld.  
"Fremtid! Can you find any way to destroy Steel Cog?" Calvin asked.  
"Give me a few moments." Skuld said, Calvin faintly heard a keyboard clacking away in the background. "Alright, you see that round thing on Steel Cogs left shoulder?"  
"The one that kind of looks like a shield?" Calvin asked.  
"Yeah, that's it's radar. If you take that out, Ekitai will have to open the cockpit in order to see." Skuld explained.  
"And then he's vulnerable. Perfect." Calvin said. He ended the transmission, opened his subspace storage, and took out the STINGER. Steel Cog started to move, and the radar made quick, jerky motions, until it was aimed at Calvin. He heard a whirring sound, and a few seconds later two large machine guns on the body of Steel Cog started to fire. Calvin ran behind a nearby large crate, and waited until the gunfire stopped. He slowly moved to the other side of the crate, and saw the radar on steel cog moving around. Calvin looked at his own radar and saw that the radar was looking in the opposite direction. Calvin aimed the STINGER, locked onto the radar, and fired. The missile struck the front of the radar, and it jerked around wildly. Calvin loaded another missile, locked on, and fired again. The radar started to spark, and lowered.  
"Is it out?" Calvin asked himself. The radar then jerked back up and aimed at Calvin.  
"THERE YOU ARE!" Ekitai yelled over Steel Cog's loudspeaker. Three missiles launched out of the behemoth's knee and headed straight for Calvin.  
"SHIT!" Calvin yelled. He dived behind the large crate as the missiles passed by, partially destroying a nearby wall. Calvin ran out from his cover and aimed the STINGER once more. However, instead of the usual beeping that came from aiming module, a loud buzz issued out. Calvin looked at the screen, and growled angrily. The message 'NO AMMO' blinked at him in bright red text. "Damn it! What am I going to do now?!" Calvin yelled. At that moment, there was a loud grinding and scraping, and Calvin looked up at Steel Cog. There was a katana sticking out of the radar, and sparks below it. A figure in a full metal suit appeared, holding onto the katana. The figure flipped upwards, and landed behind the radar. It lowered, and started to rip the radar off of Steel Cog. A few seconds later, there was a shower of sparks, and the figure held the radar over it's head. It pulled the katana out, and dropped the radar.  
"Consider this a gift from Ippan-Oni, Calvin!" The figure said, and tossed the sword. It landed a few feet from Calvin, who ran over and picked it up. He stared at it , the intricate design catching his eye. Shaking his head, he stored the katana, his side arms, and the empty STINGER in subspace, and pulled out a couple of grenades. The cockpit of Steel Cog started to open slowly, and Calvin ran up to it. He pulled the pins off of the grenades, and lobbed them in. Calvin ran for cover, as the grenades destroyed the inside of Steel Cog. However, Calvin underestimated the power of the resulting blast, and was blown into a wall, then fell to the ground. He groaned, and looked over at the wreckage. His vision blurred, and a shadowy figure approached, framed by the orange glow of the fire.

_An undetermined amount of time later..._

Calvin slowly opened his eyes, his vision getting clearer. Calvin tried to move his arms, but found that they were tied behind his back. He looked around and noticed that they were on top of Steel Cog's flat head. In front of him stood Ekitai.  
"Sleeping late again, Dokuja?" Ekitai said.  
"What? You're still alive?" Calvin asked, his mind becoming more focused.  
"As long as this world is free, I shall never die!" Ekitai stated.  
"Too bad. Seems your attack on Emerald Light is a complete failure." Calvin said.  
"Just because Steel Cog is destroyed doesn't mean I've given up." Ekitai responded.  
"So you plan on staying a pawn to Balthazar?" Calvin asked.  
"Pawn? Pawns are the Lunarium you've encountered. I am more important than a pawn!" Ekitai yelled. Calvin smirked.  
"Ooh, looks like I hit a nerve. Is the little disposable grunt angry?" Calvin said. Ekitai frowned, and then pulled out a small device. He pushed a button on it, and a red light started to blink. He tossed it to his left, and Calvin watched it. It landed next to a large amount of explosives, and next to the explosives...  
"Sasami!" Calvin yelled.  
"Hm, I'm glad you can see that this is a more serious issue than you think." Ekitai said.  
"You better hope to god she's unharmed." Calvin said.  
"Well, she was alive a few hours ago. Kept crying, the poor girl." Ekitai said, smirking. He then pointed over the pile of explosives. "That is one of many bombs I've placed around this facility, in case of failure. We wouldn't want the Enemy to know more about us now, would we?" Ekitai walked over and untied Calvin. "There is only a few minutes until the bomb goes off. It's a long fall down, and it will be interesting to fight you. If you defeat me, you may enjoy your last moments with the girl, if she's alive, that is." Calvin immediately stood up and threw a punch to Ekitai's stomach. Ekitai jumped back, and charged Calvin. Calvin sidestepped, and kicked Ekitai in the side, who fell on the ground. He then jumped back up, and threw a punch to Calvin's face. Calvin ducked, and elbowed Ekitai in the stomach. Ekitai doubled over, and Calvin kicked him in the head. Ekitai stumbled backwards, moving closer to the edge. Calvin ran up, and threw an uppercut to Ekitai's jaw. He fell backwards off of Steel Cog, screaming. There was a soft thud, and the screaming stopped. Calvin immediately went over to Sasami. He untied her and held her.  
"Sasami? Sasami, please wake up." Calvin said.  
"C...Calvin?" Sasami groaned. She looked up at Calvin and smiled.  
"Thank god you're alive. Do you think you can walk?" Calvin asked.  
"I'm not sure. It still hurts." Sasami answered.  
"I think I can help with that." a voice said. Calvin turned around and saw Skuld standing behind them.  
"Skuld? Are you sure? You aren't worried about the demon?" Calvin asked quickly.  
"Whoa, settle down Calvin. Yeah, since he didn't mean any harm to you, I'm sure it's fine. I've already healed my leg." Skuld said. She walked up and crouched next to Sasami. She then moved her hands over Sasami, and they started to glow blue. "_Å store krefter av livet, spør jeg av deg til å lege denne piken. Blodstrømninger, flesk vokser, smerte fleetingr. HEAL!_" Skuld chanted. The light grew brighter, and then faded. Skuld stood up, and Calvin helped Sasami to her feet. Skuld jumped down off of Steel Cog, and both Calvin and Sasami watched as she floated down. Calvin looked back at the explosives, and saw the timer blinking at seven minutes.  
"We've got to hurry before this place turns to dust." Calvin said. He looked around and found a way down. Calvin went first, climbing down the wreckage, with Sasami following. When they were only ten feet from the ground Calvin jumped down, and looked up. He held his arms out, and Sasami jumped down into his embrace. They both looked at each other.  
"Calvin..." Sasami said quietly.  
"Sasami..." Calvin said. Their faces drew closer.  
"Hey, I'm _really_ sorry about breaking up this precious moment, but we gotta go. **NOW**!" Skuld said. Calvin and Sasami frowned, and she pulled herself from his embrace. Skuld then threw something blue at Sasami. "You're going to need that, it's cold out." Skuld said. It was a large down filled vest. Sasami put it on, and they ran to the nearest exit. After about a minute of running, they finally made it to a garage, where there were only two jeeps with gun turrets on the back. Skuld ran forward, and a small alarm sounded. They looked up and a security camera was aimed at Skuld. "Damn it. We got to hurry!" Skuld yelled. They ran to the closest jeep, and Skuld searched inside. She then growled and moved to the next jeep. At that moment two Lunarium guards entered. Calvin quickly opened his subspace storage, and pulled out the SOCOM and his Desert Eagle. He handed the SOCOM to Sasami, and they proceeded to fire at the Lunarium. The guards dropped, and dissolved into the brown substance.  
"What the? When did that start?" Sasami asked.  
"It's only been the Lunarium, it's strange. Find they keys yet, Skuld?" Calvin said, then asked.  
"Yeah, quick, get in!" Skuld said. Sasami got in the passenger seat, while Calvin got on the turret. More Lunarium filed in, but Calvin quickly dropped them with the turret. "CALVIN! Shoot the gas tanks over there and blow a hole in the barrier!" Skuld yelled. Calvin turned and shot at the red stack of tanks next to the blocked exit, which blew a hole large enough for them two drive through. The jeep screeched as Skuld drove through. There were a few guard stands with a few Lunarium stationed, but they were taken out by the turret. After that, the group could see daylight at the end of the tunnel. Suddenly, gunfire hit the back of the jeep. Calvin turned the turret around, and saw the other jeep, driven by Ekitai.  
"What the fuck! This guy just doesn't want to die!" Calvin yelled. He fired the turret at the jeep, but it quickly moved up next to the other jeep, and knocked into it. The jeep swerved, and knocked into the one driven by Ekitai. This continued for a few moments before both jeeps tumbled out of the exit, onto the snow outside. Calvin, Sasami, and Skuld slowly pulled themselves out of the overturned jeep, and looked over at the other one, which was also overturned, and started to catch on fire.  
"You think he's dead?" Skuld said.  
"He's got to be." Sasami said. There was a sudden gun shot, and Calvin dropped, groaning in pain, holding his leg.  
"DOKUJA!" Ekitai yelled. He pulled himself out of the burning jeep, holding his pistol out. He slowly got up, and limped towards the three. He was in bad shape, cuts all over, and a broken, bleeding nose.  
"Just die already, you fucking bastard!" Calvin yelled. Ekitai limped closer.  
"Dokuja..." Ekitai said again.  
"You know what. Go to hell." Sasami said, holding the SOCOM out. She fired a single shot, and hit Ekitai perfectly on the forehead. He collapsed, and was still. Skuld crouched over Calvin, and healed his leg.

_A few minutes later..._

The group was back on the deck of the yacht, headed away from Dark Prophet. The base had just erupted in flames, and was a dwindling glow behind them.  
"So where to now, Combo?" Skuld asked. Combo was at the controls, steering the yacht.  
"I was informed that Balthazar may be at the abandoned island of Dark Sunday." Combo said. He then looked over at Calvin and Sasami, who were sitting nearby. They had both fallen asleep, with Sasami leaning on Calvin, who had his arms wrapped around her.  
"Let them rest. The ordeal took a lot out of them." Skuld said. Lilith sat nearby, and she was quietly singing.

_An cuimhin leat an gra  
Cra croi an ghra  
Nil anois ach ceol na h-oiche  
Taim siorai i ngra  
Leannain le smal  
Leannain le smal_

Lig leis agus beidh leat  
Lig leis agus beidh gra

Cuimhne leat an t-am  
Nuair a bhi tu sasta

An cuimhne leat an t-am  
Nuair a bhi tu ag gaire  
Ta an saol iontach  
ma chreideann tu ann  
_  
Tug aghaidh ar an saoi  
is sonas siorai inar measc  
Ceard a tharla do na  
laethanta sin  
Ceard a tharla do na  
h-oicheanta sin_

An cuimhin leat an t-am  
Nuair a bhi tu faoi bhron  
An cuimhin leat an t-am  
Go siorai sileadh na ndeaor

An ormsa na orainne a bhi  
an locht  
Ag mothu cailite s'ar fan  
Cen fath an t-achrann is  
sileadh na ndeor  
Ta ailleacht sa saol  
Ma chuardaionn tu e  
Ta gliondar sa saol  
Cuardaimis e...

--  
_Somewhere..._

In a dank, dark chamber, a man with one hand knelt before a large throne, upon which sat a shadowed figure.  
"So, is it true?" the shadowed figure asked.  
"Yes, the Lunarium battalion was wiped out." the man said.  
"What of the possessed ones?" the shadowed figure asked.  
"It is possible that a few of them escaped. Insect's brainwashing faded near the end." the man said.  
"The Avatar and her comrades?" the shadowed figure asked.  
"I confirmed there escape. They're heading to the source." the man said.  
"Hm. Do you still have our influence?" the shadowed figure asked.  
"The Vector? No, I was able to use it sir. The chimera egg should awaken soon." the man said.  
"Good. You've done well. It's time for your payment. I hope you still intend to work for us." the shadowed figure said. He motioned, and a robed figure appeared from the shadows, holding a syringe that glowed a sickly green color.  
"Of course sir. My allegiance lies with the Lunarium." the man said, as the robed figure injected the glowing syringe into his neck.

--

Sasami awoke with a start, and looked around. She was still on the deck of the yacht, and Calvin's arms were still around her. She smiled, and moved closer to her sleeping companion.  
"_What did I do to deserve you, Calvin? I hope that once this is over, we'll be able to spend some time together, without interruptions._" thought Sasami. She then glanced at Calvin's sleeping face. "_Just don't take that as an invitation to do anything. Oh, who am I kidding, he's too honest and respectable. But what should we do anyway? Some quiet time at home? Yeah right. Maybe a day or two in Tokyo._" Sasami closed her eyes and her smile widened. "_Dinner at a romantic restaurant, gaze at the stars..._" Sasami then heard the engine in the yacht start to quiet down.  
"Hey Skuld, can you see a dock anywhere?" Combo said.  
"_I guess we're stopping._" Sasami thought. She then heard a low whir. "_What's that noise?_"

--

Calvin groaned and slowly opened his eyes. His head was throbbing in pain, and he felt sore all over.  
"Looks like he's coming to. Quick, get some water and a painkiller." a voice said. Calvin opened his eyes and let his vision clear. He looked around, and saw he was in a drab gray room, laying in a small bed. A woman in a forest camouflage pattern stood next to the bed.  
"Ugh, where am I?" Calvin said. He then paused, and his eyes widened. "Where's Sasami?!" he said louder.  
"You're in a hidden Black Widow outpost, on the edge of Dark Sunday." the woman said.  
"Fine. Where...is...Sasami?" Calvin asked.  
"Sasami..." the woman said. Calvin quickly sat up.  
"LIGHT BLUE HAIR! PINK EYES! WEARING A BLUE DOWN VEST! WHERE IS SHE?" Calvin yelled. The woman sighed  
"She was...taken by the Lunarium." the woman said.  
"What! How?" Calvin asked.  
"When your boat was heading for our dock, a Lunarium torpedo hit the side. It washed up the shore, where the Lunarium was waiting. They must have been looking for her only, cause they they left everything else alone." the woman said. Calvin sighed heavily.  
"God damn them. What about Skuld, Lilith, Combo?" Calvin asked.  
"Combo is still recuperating in another room. The two girls already woke up, and are fully healed. It's strange, it was too fast, that's not normal." the woman said. The door to the room opened, and a man in forest camouflage walked in, holding a glass and a bottle. He handed then handed it to the woman. "Thank you, Corporal. You're dismissed." the woman said. The man gave a curt nod and walked out. The woman set the glass down on a side table, opened the bottle, pulled out two small pills, and dropped them in the glass. There was a small fizzle sound, then nothing. She then handed the glass to Calvin. "It's quick dissolve aspirin, it should help you out in about a half hour." Calvin took the glass and drank the liquid.  
"Thank you." Calvin said, and handed the empty glass back to the woman.  
"No problem. I'm Staff Sergeant Graham, I'm the C.O. here. And I already know you're name, Calvin." the woman, now known as Graham, said.  
"Alright. So what exactly is going on here?" Calvin asked.  
"As I said earlier, we're in a hidden Black Widow outpost. You could say we're the few remaining humans on Dark Sunday. The rest of the island has been taken over by the Lunarium, and their demon leader, Balthazar." Graham said.  
"So that bastard is here?" Calvin asked.  
"We believe so. This island is where the Lunarium first appeared, it would make sense if he was here." Graham said. Calvin mulled over this information. "What is extremely strange is HOW he organized the Lunarium. One of the villages on this island went silent, no information could get in or out. Then another village. It went on like this, until the Lunarium appeared, and started attacking more densely populated areas. We finally got some idea on what's going on."  
"And that is?" Calvin asked.  
"This may sound a bit far fetched, but we think there's something in the water. Whatever he has that turns people into those...things...could easily be in the water supply." Graham said.  
"So what are your plans here?" Calvin asked.  
"Currently, reconnaissance and sabotage. We don't have a force large enough for a full scale attack." Graham said.  
"Well, I think I can help you out with that." Calvin said.

--  
_An hour later..._

Calvin buttoned the Black Widow forest camouflage jacket over his tactical vest, and holstered his Desert Eagle. After urging with Graham, Calvin was cleared to leave the facility and enter the island. But only with one condition.  
"Sure you don't want to stay behind?" Calvin asked.  
"Seeing as how many times you've come close to dieing, I think Sasami will be much happier that I'm out there helping you." Lilith said, pulling on a camouflaged glove.  
"Yeah, you're probably right." Calvin said quietly.  
"Besides, I'm better at fighting than Skuld, and she's better with handling information anyway." Lilith said, checking over the USP handgun she got from the Black Widow Armory.  
"I just don't want to get killed by your sister if you get hurt." Calvin said.  
"Oh, don't worry about it. She'd kill me first, THEN kill you." Lilith said, smirking.  
"Yeah, that's a relief." Calvin said sarcastically. They stood near the hidden doorway to the outpost, in front of them was a winding path into the woods.  
"Well, lets get walking." Lilith said, and started down the path. Calvin followed her, keeping one hand by his Desert Eagle, just in case. After about ten minutes of walking, the pair crossed a rope bridge to find a small house. Calvin motioned over to the house, and Lilith nodded. They quietly walked up to the door and entered. The inside of the house was somewhat shabby, and the glow of a fire was emanating from a nearby room. Calvin entered the room while Lilith kept watch over the door. In the other room, a man in dirty clothing was tending to the fire.  
"Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if you could help me." Calvin said. The man quickly looked up and over at Calvin.  
"Was fickt das sind Sie, der in meinem Haus macht? Erhalten Sie die Hölle aus jetzt!" the man said loudly.  
"Uh, sorry." Calvin said. He turned around to leave, when he heard a metallic scrape. He turned back around, and saw the man had just picked up an axe, and started to swing it at Calvin. Calvin jumped back, and unholstered the Desert Eagle. "Back off!" Calvin yelled. The man swung again, and Calvin fired, shooting him in the chest. The man fell down, and started to dissolve as Lilith ran in.  
"What happ..." she started to say, then notice the dissolving corpse. "What the hell?" she asked.  
"I guess he was Lunarium. He didn't look like those guards back at Dark Prophet." Calvin said.  
"No, what happened to his body, it's almost as if he was...a ghoul." Lilith said.  
"Ghoul?" Calvin asked.  
"A monster controlled by a powerful force. When they die, their body turns to dust. I wonder if this is somehow related..." Lilith said. Suddenly, there was strange shouting outside.  
"Looks like we got company." Calvin said. Lilith nodded, and unholstered her USP.


	11. Traps, Big Cheese, Supply & Demand

Ch. 11 Traps, Big Cheese, Supply & Demand

Calvin looked around the small house, and noticed a staircase in the back of the room.  
"Lilith, over here!" Calvin yelled, and ran up the stairs. The second floor was a small storage room, with a large window overlooking the front of the house. Calvin looked out, and saw three men in dirty clothing outside. Two were carrying axes, and the third was carrying a pitchfork.  
"Schauen Sie, im Fenster an!" One of the men outside yelled, and then threw his axe. Calvin jumped back from the window, bumping into Lilith as she made it to the top of the staircase. The axe broke through the window and clattered to the floor. Calvin moved back to the window, and aimed his Desert Eagle out. He fired a few rounds, and took out the man holding the pitchfork. He fell, and started to dissolve. The man who threw his axe ran over to his fallen companion and picked up his pitchfork, as the other man threw his axe. Calvin ducked below the window frame, and Lilith pressed up against a side wall, as the axe flew through the window and embedded itself in the opposite wall. Lilith then looked over at Calvin and smirked.  
"I'll be right back." she said, and then jumped out the window. As she fell, she shot at the man who threw the axe, killing him. When she landed, she shot at the other man, scoring a shot to the forehead. He dropped the pitchfork and brought his hands up to his face, screaming. Lilith shot him again, and he fell. Calvin ran out of the house as the two corpses started to dissolve.  
"That was a bit much, don't you think?" Calvin asked.  
"Well, they're dead, and that's what matters." Lilith said, smirking. The two then continued on down the path. After a few minutes, Lilith stopped.  
"What's wrong?" Calvin asked.  
"Shh, be quiet for a little bit." Lilith said. She cocked her head at an odd angle, then walked off the path.  
"What's going on?" Calvin asked, and followed her.  
"There's some animal over here, it sounds like it's in pain." Lilith said. A few minutes later they came across a wolf. It's leg was caught in a bear trap. Lilith calmly walker forward and started to pet it. "Shh, it's okay, we'll get you out of here. Calvin, see if you can get that bear trap open." Lilith said. Calvin crouched next to the trap, and started to pry it apart. It took a few moments, but the trap was finally open far enough for the wolf to pull it's leg out. It hobbled off quickly, and looked back at the two, before hobbling off farther in the woods.  
"I wonder why there's a trap here." Calvin said. He then looked around, and noticed that they were surrounded by untripped bear traps. He also noticed there were a few tripwire bombs stretched between the trees. "Oh shit." Calvin sighed.  
"I guess that means were getting closer to whatever they're trying to hide." Lilith said, smirking.  
"Hm, then we should keep going." Calvin said. The two continued on, though much more slowly.

About a half hour later...

After passing through woods and a large strange gate, the two had ended up on the outskirts of a small village. From what Calvin and Lilith could see, it was sparsely populated.  
"Well, what's the plan of action?" Lilith asked.  
"It'll probably be our best bet to get through here unnoticed, so I say we sneak through on the left side of the village, using that path." Calvin said, pointing to a small trail. Calvin crouched, and silently moved forward. Lilith quickly followed behind. Unfortunately, the trail ended near a small house.  
"Ein Aussenstehender!" a voice yelled out. The two looked over and saw a villager pointing in their direction. The other villagers immediately stopped what they were doing, and started to head for them.  
"Shit!" Calvin yelled. Lilith ran up the small house and broke through the window.  
"Quick, over here!" She yelled. Calvin ran over and she quickly pulled him inside. The inside of the house was practically bare, there were a few shelves, chests, and a table, but other than that it was empty. Lilith immediately went over to a large shelf and started to shove it in front of the window. "Calvin, block the door!" she yelled. He nodded and started moving a chest in front of the door. Once they were done, they moved upstairs to find two more windows, and a shotgun laying on a shelf. Lilith grabbed the shotgun, and broke one of the windows. Calvin looked out the other window, and saw more villagers gathering around the door. He then heard a buzzing sound, and saw a large man with a burlap sack over his head wielding a chainsaw.  
"Lilith, things just got more complicated!" Calvin yelled. He turned around, and saw Lilith outside of the window, upside down.  
"Hurry, we'll be safer if we're on the roof!" Lilith said. Calvin ran over and started to climb out of the window. Lilith grabbed his arms and pulled him up onto the slanted roof. Calvin looked around and saw a large amount of villagers swarming around the house, the buzz of the chainsaw was even louder. There was a loud thunk sound, and Lilith saw the end of a ladder resting on the edge of the roof. She immediately knocked it over. "Looks like we might not be so safe up here." Lilith said. Calvin unholstered his Desert Eagle and started to fire at the villagers.  
"Yeah, and I doubt we have enough ammo for all of them." Calvin replied. At that moment, a loud bell rang out, coming from the church off in the distance. The mass of villagers stopped attacking, and slowly filed into a strange, large building. There were loud murmurs coming from all of them, and a few started to chant "Balthazar".  
"Kind of an odd time to have mass, don't you think?" Lilith asked.  
"Whatever, I'm not complaining." Calvin said. Once the villagers cleared out, the two got off of the roof, and moved on.

Calvin and Lilith checked the rest of the village, and other than a little ammunition, a leather strap which Lilith used to tie the shotgun to her side, and some possibly valuable trinkets, there wasn't much. They then continued on, and found themselves near a large barn to their right and a small building to their left. Calvin continued walking, but Lilith stopped him.

"What is it?" Calvin asked.

"Do you hear that?" Lilith said. Calvin listened carefully, and faintly heard the sounds of someone walking on a wooden floor. Lilith pulled out her USP and took a few quiet steps forward. Calvin followed suit and stayed close behind her. Inside the barn were two villagers, moving bales of hay to the upper loft. In the small building (which appeared to be a stable), there was a villager feeding a few cows. The path they were on ran between both buildings to the other side of the barn.

"Think it's possible to get through here without being seen?" Lilith asked.

"Maybe, it all depends if there are any villagers on the other side." Calvin said. Lilith smiled.

"Well, I can find out in a moment." she said. Her wings appeared, and she silently shot into the air. Calvin looked up and saw her hovering, about one hundred feet in the air, before slowly and silently swooping down. She landed, and here wings stretched out wide, easily reaching a twelve foot span. "Ahh, they've been hidden too long. I think i'll keep them out for now." she said.

"So... why don't you just carry me and fly over this whole mess?" Calvin asked. Lilith frowned slightly.

"That would require a bit of energy, and right now, I feel like conserving that for an emergency." she said  
"Well, I'm sure if we called back to the base, they could help us find some rations." Calvin said. Lilith chuckled.

"That would only help half way. Flying requires two kinds of energy, and I doubt you would be willing to let me take your energy for transportation." Lilith said.

"Oh, yeah, I didn't think of that." Calvin said sheepishly. Lilith smirked.

"Well, I forgive you, it's not every day you deal with a succubus." she said.

"Yeah, i've only had to deal with aliens." Calvin said, grinning.

"Heh, yeah. Anyway, the other side looked clear, so if we move quickly down the path we shouldn't be seen." Lilith said. The two then silently moved down the path to the next gate. It was a narrow path winding downwards, on either side were cliff walls, reaching about twenty feet in the air. Calvin and Lilith slowly walked through.

"So, how do you..." Calvin started to ask.

"Take energy?" Lilith finished. Calvin nodded. "Well, there are a few ways. One is through normal physical contact, holding hands or touching someone's face. It requires a lot of concentration and time, and is rarely used. Then there is the vampiric way, biting into the neck. It's works quickly, but depending on the person, I might use mouthwash afterwards. There is kissing, it works about the same as biting, but it's a bit unappealing to me to kiss my target, usually because they are pretty nasty. Finally, there's...well, what succubus's are known for. It's the fastest way to get energy, and depending on the succubus, is the most used method. And before you ask, I have **NOT**, I'm still 'Pure', and plan on staying that way until I meet the right guy." Lilith explained.

"What about taking souls? Isn't that what your kind is famous for?" Calvin asked.

"Oh, we do that too. We do the same methods, we just focus more on the spiritual energies than the physical ones. When a succubus or incubus becomes old enough, we get a soul quota we need to meet every month for Nidheg. The actual quota number depends on age, experience, where we currently live, and a few other factors." Lilith continued.

"That sounds...like a normal job almost." Calvin said.

"In a way it is. We go after some pretty evil people, but unfortunately, we can't get them all. At least the Shinigami's job is easier, they just have to be on site when a death occurs." Lilith continued.

"Shinigami?" Calvin asked.

"Shinigami are what you know as..." Lilith started.

"**Schnell, lässt fallen den Feldstein, sind sie hier!**" a voice yelled above. Calvin and Lilith looked up and saw three villagers pushing a boulder over the edge of the cliff. The two started to run down the path, the boulder crashing and rolling down after them. The path took a turn into a tunnel, and the two ran in, as the boulder tumbled and crashed at the entrance, blocking it.

"Well shit, isn't that convenient?" Lilith said.

"Let's just keep going, I'm sure we'll find a way around soon." Calvin said. They exited the tunnel, and found themselves in a lightly wooded area with a two small buildings, and a somewhat larger building. Stretched between a few of the trees were explosive wire traps, and on the ground were a few bear traps. They easily avoided the traps, and checked the small buildings. The only thing they could find was a small amount of .50 caliber rounds for Calvin's Desert Eagle, .45 caliber hollow points for Lilith's USP, and a box 12-gauge shells for the shotgun Lilith took (which upon further examination, was a Benelli Nova Tactical). The two then headed for the larger building. As soon as they entered, they heard a strange thumping sound resonating through the building. Just like the outside, the building was littered with explosive wire traps and bear traps, but were easily avoidable. However, the building seemed empty. The two entered a large living room, and met a dead end.

"Well what the hell, where is that noise coming from?" Lilith said. She started to leave the room, but Calvin stopped her.

"Hold on a second." Calvin said. He didn't know why, but he knew there was something odd about the single bookcase in the room. After a quick investigation, Calvin moved to the side of the case and started to push. The case slowly moved, and behind it was another hall.

"How in the world did you know about that?" Lilith asked, stunned.

"I really have no idea. It's that Deja Vu thing again, I feel like I've done this already." Calvin said. The two moved down the hall, and entered a room with a large closet. The doors shook, and the whole closet rocked slightly.

"Looks like we found the source of the noise." Calvin said quietly. The two moved to either side of the closet, and unholstered their firearms. Calvin moved his hand to the lock, and looked over at Lilith. She nodded, and Calvin opened the closet. Out fell a man, who was tied up, with his mouth taped shut. Lilith ripped the tape off of his mouth.

"Ow, a little rough, ja? Are you like them?" The man said, then asked.

"Nope. Are you?" Calvin asked.

"No. Quick question, either of you got a cigarette?" the man said. Calvin shook his head.

"Sorry, I don't smoke." Lilith responded. There were sudden heavy footfalls, as a large, bald, bearded man in an overcoat, flanked on either side by villagers, entered the room.

"Shit, it's the head honcho." The man said.

"Huh?" Lilith said. In an effort to surprise him, Calvin ran forward and jumped, aiming a kick at the large man's head. The man grabbed Calvin's foot, and threw him back, hitting Lilith. Calvin was knocked out instantly, and Lilith's head struck the back of the wall. Her vision blurred, and as she slowly lost consciousness, she saw the large man move aside, as a purple robed figure moved out from behind him.

----------------------

Later

----------------------

"_I hope that you enjoy this little...'Gift'...that we are pleased to present you with." _Calvin heard a voice say faintly. A few moments later, he felt a pin prick in his neck, followed by a strange lump moving down from the pin prick.

Calvin awoke with a start, and tried to stand up. He found this to be extremely difficult, and looked around. His arms were bound at his sides, and he was chained around something. He craned his neck around, and saw that he was chained to the strange man that Lilith and himself freed earlier. Looking around again, he saw Lilith was unconscious in one corner of the small room they were in, heavily bound with chains and heavy weights. Calvin groaned, and shuffled around, poking his elbows into the strange man's back.

"Hey, wake up. Wake up, damn it!" Calvin said loudly. The man groaned and stirred.

"Ja ja ja, ugh, out of the frying pan and into the fire." The man said quietly.

"I'm not sure how long you've been here, but is there anything you can tell me about the Lunarium here?" Calvin asked.

"Not from around here, ja? What brings you to this god forsaken island?" the man asked.

"My name is...Dokuja. Over there is Anam." Calvin said, motioning to Lilith with his head. "We came here to take down Balthazar, but an important member of our group was kidnapped by the Lunarium, and now we're looking for her."

"What, you think you're some kind of civil hero?" the man asked.

"Not really." Calvin said.

"Well let me guess. The girl you're looking for...does she have bright blue hair and striking pink eyes?" The man said.

"That's way too good for a guess. Care to explain?" Calvin said.

"I can read minds... just kidding. I overheard a few of the villagers talking, they said she was locked in a church." the man said.

"Alright. So who might you be?" Calvin asked.

"Ich heisse Franz. I used to live on this island, before Balthazar came and took over. I fled, and eventually came back to help the Black Widows. Didn't do much good, I was caught a few days later. Somehow they can tell if you're one of them or not." the man, now known as Franz, said. At that moment, there was a loud creak, and a scraping sound. Calvin looked over and saw a villager enter the room, dragging a large ax behind him. "Sheisst! Do something!" Franz said. The villager raised the ax, and swung it down. Calvin pulled away from Franz, and the ax broke the chain that bound the two together. Calvin scooted away, and quickly reached for his Desert Eagle. Surprisingly, it had not been taken away. Calvin pulled it out and shot the villager a few times in the chest. The villager fell and dissolved on the floor. Calvin reholstered the Desert Eagle, moved over to Lilith, and started to shake her.

"Hey, wake up!" Calvin yelled. Lilith shuffled, and slowly opened her eyes.

"What the hell happened?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but we got another person to help us." Calvin said quietly. He looked over where Franz was, but he had slipped out during the fight. "Or not. Hold on, let me grab something to break those with." he said, looking at the massive amount of chains and weights that held Lilith down. He got up and started to move towards the ax.

"Don't worry, I can handle this." Lilith said. She closed her eyes, and a reddish black aura surrounded her. The chains and weights started to glow, and crumbled.

"Wow, nifty." Calvin said. Lilith brushed herself off, checked to make sure nothing was taken from her (oddly enough, nothing was), and smirked.

"Lets get going, shall we?" she said. They exited the small room, which led to a narrow hallway. At the other end was a small window. As they neared it, a strange man in a black hood, wearing a dark purple handkerchief over the lower part of his face, looked in.

"Hello strangers. Meet me outside, I've got something that might interest ya." he said, and walked off.

"That was...odd." Calvin said.

"Think we can trust him?" Lilith asked.

"Maybe." Calvin said. He unholstered his Desert Eagle and reloaded it. "I'd have your pistol out just in case." The two exited the building, and moved around to where the window was. They saw the man leaning against the building, wearing a large black overcoat, with a large pack next to him. As they got closer, the man kicked the side of his pack, and it unfurled, displaying a large assortment of guns, ammuntion, medical supplies, and different tools. He opened the side of his overcoat, displaying even more guns and ammunition.

"As I said earlier, strangers, I have a few things that might interest ya. Care to do business?" The man said.

"Business sounds good. But why are you out here?" Calvin asked.

"I knew that the Black Widows would eventually send someone in to take care of Balthazar, and I saw an opportunity to make a little cash. There are many infected villagers on this island, some more dangerous than others, and I have the necessary tools to deal with them. I can provide with new guns, augment and improve what guns you have, give you medicinal and food supplies, even provide you a map of the area. I'm just a merchant waiting for my customer." the man, now know as the merchant, said.

"I see. But how were you able to live out here this long, and not become one of them?" Calvin asked.

"I have many places on this island they don't know about, and I don't drink water." The merchant said, chuckling, as he pulled out a bottle of rum, shaking it slowly. "So now, what can I do for ya?"

"You said something about augmenting guns..." Calvin said. Lilith nodded, smirking.

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Authors Note: Sorry it took so long for a new chapter, College has been rough. I'm hoping to get more chapters up sooner, though.


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